


Amnesia; The Eminent Darkness

by Chaotic_Dawn



Category: Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Reality, M/M, Memory Loss, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-17
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-03-23 08:13:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3761107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chaotic_Dawn/pseuds/Chaotic_Dawn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Riku wanted to forget all of the bad he had done and all that's happened because of him. Even though the good far outweighs it, he's still haunted by the memory of a defeated Xehanort and the pain left in his wake. Sometimes, one should be careful what they wish for. Especially since darkness comes in many different forms.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The desire to travel to other worlds and expand his horizons drove one young man to hurting the people he held closest to his heart. What was his punishment? For his body to be possessed as he was to watch himself almost kill Sora. He was able to gather enough control to save Kairi, however, and afterward the being sent his heart away. Banished to the Realm of Darkness, he wandered and several times he thought of giving up.

It was then that he came across a small Keyblade wielder – King Mickey. The two traveled together for quite a while until they arrived at a large alabaster door amidst the darkness. It was then that it opened to reveal the same man that had possessed him now defeated and Sora, along with his companions. He assisted in shutting the door, needing someone on both sides to do so, and continued journeying with King Mickey.

Alas they were separated and he fell into slumber, only waking to arrive in a place called Castle Oblivion. He was then led by a man that called himself DiZ, who was actually the intelligent ruler of another world named Ansem, to overcome his personal darkness. The young man did things he never thought of doing. He fought; battled relentlessly, cutting down enemy after enemy, beating a replica of his self. It was all in vain as he arrived too late to save Sora once again – the boy already placed in a sleeping chamber due to his scrambled memories leaving him empty.

For what seemed like forever he set out to make sure Sora could wake up. But even after the boy's memories were restored he still couldn't be with his friends again. Once more he was tainted by the darkness to the point where his appearance resembled the very man that had possessed him in the beginning. Never did it kill him to stay in the shadows, supporting his dear friend's journey as much as he could. However, it did break his heart when Sora came to realize it was him all along and not that Heartless man. To see the boy drop to his knees and sob… well he just couldn't deal with it. It was his fault anyway.

His fault they were targeted beyond what should have happened. He believed it to be his fault that he couldn't avoid the battles where he struck down foe after foe; a couple of which turned out to be comrades. It was those thoughts that drove him mad later on.

He knew from then on he never wanted to hurt Sora – even unintentionally.

So they fought together against the remaining Nobodies and then through the sleeping worlds and Xehanort's plans. He even dived into the boy's heart and saved him, returning him to how he should be. Afterward he was crowned with completing the Mark of Mastery and became an official Keyblade Master. For the next few months they trained before beginning the plan, setting out to discover the rest of their team and defeat Xehanort once and for all. Which is exactly what they did and he was allowed to finally return to Destiny Islands to finish up his normal life, knowing he'd report back to the rejuvenated Land of Departure after his twenty-first birthday.

It's for that reason that he finds himself more than nervous. It's his last opportunity, or so he believes it to be, to tell Sora the one thing he's been dying to for years now. He's planned to ignore the negative thoughts trying to hold him back. The ones that tell him that he's not good enough; Sora has too much light to be with someone who has as much darkness as himself – that he deserves Kairi. But he still can't deny that he loves Sora and wants to be with him. That he wants things to be like they were before Kairi came during that meteor shower, before he had thoughts of other worlds to that extent. He wants things to be simple and good, shoving the bad to the side and forgetting what's happened up till now so that they can move forward – to not let the past hold them back.

He just doesn't realize the price of forgetting is steep.

z.z.z.z.z

He strides home to his one bedroom apartment, aquamarine eyes downcast just like the weather. Short silver hair hangs below his ears, short bangs reaching towards his eyes. Having been rushed out of his residence rather abruptly he only wears a black zip-up vest with a high collar, a pair of baggy blue pants, and white, yellow and black shoes. He had been sent out – ordered out – by Sora to get ice-cream. Not bothering to argue with the boy, having already suspected the outcome of the day, he had left to retrieve the dessert.

Rounding the corner, he comes up on the rather small apartment building. The gray colors appear darker thanks to the shrouded moon and the only light comes from the inside of the housing structure. Thankfully he's on the first floor and it doesn't take him long to locate his room. Not that that dark bothers him, not anymore anyways. He's actually quite comfortable with it. Sometimes he finds it more relaxing than sitting under blaring lights that point out everything it touches.

His room is at the beginning of the hallway to the left of the entrance, something he finds rather annoying since he has to listen to all the traffic that trudges through. The paper bags filled with ice-cream containers sit on the floor as he fishes his keys from his pockets. He does so rather quickly and picks the bags back up, walking into his dark apartment.

An eyebrow rises just as he's about to call for Sora, wondering where he went, when light flares to life all around him – temporarily blinding him. He squeezes his eyes shut tight as people scream out his name and the words 'happy birthday'. It doesn't do him any good.

The suddenness. The shouting. It brings back memories – the pure, raw bad ones that make him cringe. Despite being a Keyblade Master and willing to serve both light and dark; he's haunted no less.

If it weren't for the bags of ice-cream he would have thrown his hands up to grasp at his head and drop to his knees. But he's grateful that he doesn't – he doesn't want to dare be seen weak by all of these people, a small party of friends. He's broken away and thrust back into the surprise party as Sora appears in front of him, grabbing at the bags of ice-cream.

His blue eyes shine with happiness as he smiles at the stunned birthday boy. Brown hair spikes every which way off of the boy's head, a messy feel to the tamed fringe. He wears a black tank top and instead of his usual pants he wears tan capris and a pair of flip-flops of the same color. "Happy Birthday, Riku!" Sora gestures to the living room, where a couch and table sit, with his head. "Come on, you have to blow out your candle!"

Riku follows him to the living room, saying thank you to those that wish him a happy birthday all over again. He doesn't take much notice to any of them – except for being color coded blurs that mingle around him. Sitting on the couch he doesn't see Kairi leave the kitchen area until she's beside the table, taking a place next to him. She wears a light pink dress that ends at her knees, white swirls decorating the bottom. Maroon hair falls to her shoulders and into her deep blue eyes, a flower pin collecting some of the bangs to the side. She places the cake on the table in front of him.

It's a relatively simple looking cake. Strawberries decorate the rim of it with white icing layered on nice and thick. In the middle is a single white and black candle that reads the number twenty-one.

Sora sets the bags on the floor and pulls out a couple containers before plopping down on the other side of Riku. He smiles at Riku, "Make a wish Riku!"

From the other side of him Kairi scolds the brunet. "Sora, we haven't even sung yet."

"But we just did… basically." Sora chuckles as he nudges the older boy with his elbow. "Come on Riku, make it a good wish."

Riku forces a smile, not able to find it in himself to give a real one. Taking a breath, he blows and extinguishes the flame with ease. Claps and cheers come from the surrounding blurs, but it only makes his ears ring and his head throb. He could have done with a quiet party of just Sora, Kairi and him.

Picking the cake back up, Kairi heads back to the kitchen. "Alright everyone, let's eat. Come get a plate."

Sora follows her with the ice-cream, apparently not knowing she was going to go back to the kitchen afterward. He returns to Riku quickly, thrusting a plain ceramic plate into his hands that has cake and ice-cream on it. Alone for a moment, Riku can hear the rustle and chatter of those just several feet away. Sora grins at him as he takes a bite, "So do you like the cake?"

Riku nods as he swallows. "Did you pick it out?" Sora nods happily. "It was a good choice, thank you Sora."

"It was no problem. I'd do anything for you Riku."

He swallows again even though he hadn't taken a bite. Setting the plate down on the table, he turns to Sora after a quick glance to the kitchen. With everyone still preoccupied he knows he has only a split second to move. "Sora… thank you for everything."

Sora laughs as he rubs at the back of his head. "Aw, you don't have to do that. We're best friends remember?"

"Yeah I remember." He hesitates for a moment, doubting himself. "You know Sora; I love you – a lot." The way the brunet looks at him makes Riku shake his head. "Not like that. I _love_ you, more than a best friend ever could."

For a moment there's nothing but silence between them. But slowly Sora parts his lips, "Riku… I… I don't-"

Suddenly a swarm of people are around them and Kairi is sitting back down. Someone yells out to open presents. A snicker follows and a decorated box is forced into Riku's grasp. As he begins to unwrap each present Kairi returns to the kitchen to get a drink and Sora swiftly follows. The brunet avoids Riku's eyes as he goes, leaving the young man to smile and thank each guest for the presents.

Once he's done he discovers that Sora is nowhere to be seen from his position. Kairi walks up beside him and he sighs, "Any more presents?"

She pats his head as if he were a child, the touch comforting but odd to him. "Nope that was the last one."

As she walks away to mingle with the others and gather unused plates and glasses, Riku stands from his seat. Out of all those presents he didn't see one from Sora. Although he assumes the brunet bought the cake and that alone is fine with him. Still, if he could find the boy he'd be more than happy. Riku moves through the wave of people and to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water. After drinking it and leaving the glass on the counter he turns to leave only to stop dead.

"I overheard Kairi and Sora talking. Sora said something about Riku saying he loves him."

"What did Sora say?"

"Nothing from what I know. He probably didn't want to hurt his feelings. It's obvious Sora loves Kairi, ya know?"

"I guess…"

Riku stands there, struggling to breathe as his heart jumps into his throat. His chest feels like it's caving in and he has to take a few short gasps of air before he can move. When he does move, he moves fast. Heading straight for the door he can vaguely see Kairi coming towards him as he has to stop to open it. Her concern is obvious and the fact that she knows why he's like this is even more so. "Riku, where are you going?"

"I need some air."

Her slender fingers grab at his wrist, "What's wrong? You can talk to me Riku."

Pulling his arm away, he swings the door open and steps outside of it. "You already know I'm sure."

She can't seem to deny that as she walks out after him, the heels of her shoes clicking against the ground. "Riku, wait – I'm sorry. I'm sorry if they said anything, they didn't mean it."

He glances back at her to see tears in the corners of her eyes. "Forget it, I'll be back."

"Riku, please don't go! You don't understand, please let me explain!"

But he's already disappeared around the corner and into the night. He wanders around for quite a while, reflecting on what to do. He knows gossip is gossip – that there's nothing wrong with someone's opinion on a situation. Nonetheless he can't get rid of the hurt that flares up in his chest and makes him want to just forget everything and start fresh.

The lights on the side of the road are left in the distance as he takes a turn only to realize he's walked into a dead end. He can't help but scoff at himself, "I didn't even know we had dead ends."

"And you'd be wise to not have discovered them young man."

Riku spins around with a heated glare settled into his eyes. If it's one thing, he can fight. Wary of the man's voice that had startled him, he sweeps his gaze over the alley. All he sees is a stray cat running out from behind a dumpster with a mouse in its mouth.

"If you're not careful, you may end up like that rat."

This time he doesn't turn even though he can feel the presence behind him. If playing in the shadows was what the man wanted Riku can give him that and still win. He shrugs his shoulders, "If it meant starting over I welcome destiny to spin that wheel again."

A whisper passes by his ear, sending a shiver down his spine, "Do you mean that?"

"Every word."

Just as his reply leaves his lips and he plans to turn around, Riku is taken by surprise. He's forced back against the mystery man as a cold hand clamps over his mouth. "I can make that dream a reality. I know how it feels to lose everything in a single night… to want to fall into a coma and never wake up from the peaceful illusions you can create and kill at will."

Riku takes a deep breath through his nose as he feels the man wrap an arm over his arms and waist, keeping them together. He can do nothing as he finds the man far stronger than he expected. His eyes widen as lips press against the side of his throat, throwing him completely off guard. But it's when teeth meet his skin that he lets his mind go wild with outcomes. He tries to throw his fist back at the attacker but his body won't obey him. The only part that will are his vocal chords and his lungs as his scream is muffled by the hand over his mouth.

Whatever had pierced through his throat goes deep as he can feel the blood leaving his body, yet it doesn't dare to drip down his neck. Riku can only look up at the moon, not realizing his vision is spotting with black until it starts to block out the moon as well. The attacker finally lets him go, the grip loosening enough to where Riku can shove himself away. But the second he does he wishes he hadn't.

A wave of dizziness hits and he stumbles toward the other wall of the alley, never making it as he falls to the side. The man cloaked in shadows kneels down, effortlessly catching the boy. Riku stares up into crimson eyes, breathing heavily as he feels his body beginning to grow cold – very cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally wrote this 4 years ago. So I've decided to rework and update it in regards to finally posting the well overdue sequel. I'm very excited to return to this pairing and explore new plot bunnies I've come up with. :D 
> 
> lol I've deleted the original from everywhere but my deviantART for my own reasons. //it was very... holey// To which I've tried to patch this up as much as possible!
> 
> Thank you all for reading ;D Chapters will come out once a week or if something happens once every two weeks (for those that plan to keep up)


	2. Chapter 2

The young man is lost in his own mind as he lies on a king-sized bed of maroon sheets, awake but unmoving. He doesn't even open his eyes to the dimly lit room, unsure of doing the simplest things. The walls are a blue color, with a touch of gray, and the floors are a dark wood. A small table sits next to the bed; the bright red numbers reading 6:24PM. There's three doors to the room; bathroom, closet, and exit to the rest of the home. They're all heavy wooden doors belonging to this old house.

But the man doesn't dare to stir just yet. He's not sure if he's awake or asleep, not even sure what the difference is to him – he just knows the color blue. No name or location immediately jumps out at him and he's confused. Any being should know such simple information. As he tries to think about it a dull pain strikes the side of his neck. He brings his hand up to his throat and his fingers graze the spot. Slowly he opens his eyes as he brings his hand in front of his face. Dried blood flakes away from his fingers as he rubs them together.

The confusion passes over him and brings so many questions to the forefront of his mind: What in the world happened? Where is he? How did he get here? Did… did he get hurt?

Folding the covers to the side, the young man slowly sits up. He blinks several times, finding that his eyes quickly adapt to the darkness of the room. Looking down he pushes the sleeves of his black shirt back down to his wrists and eyes the jeans on his legs. Slowly, he begins to climb out of the bed. One leg at a time swings over the edge and his sock-clad feet meet the floor. He pauses for a moment as a dull ache pierces through him to which he passes off as hunger. He stands, wobbling at first, and moves toward the window. Planning to get some light in the room, he pulls at the curtains.

The remaining rays of sunlight stream into the room instantly and at first he can only stare. Until suddenly he's burning, every part of him is on fire and his eyes are in so much pain he wishes he could just rip them out to stop it. He clenches the edge of the curtain and begins to crumple to the floor as he tries to shield himself from the sun. The pain shooting through his body renders him immobile as he kneels on the ground, fingers balling into the curtain and holding on for dear life. He closes his eyes and opens his mouth to call for help but nothing comes out.

Even so the door to the room flies open and a tall man hurries over to him. The curtains are ripped from his grasp and closed, those same hands reaching for him as the light vanishes from the room. Arms slip underneath him and pick him up, cradling him against a chest decorated in a maroon dress shirt with the cuffs left open. Legs clad in dark denim pants move straight back for the bed to where he sets the young man down, the heels of his boots clicking against the floor as he goes.

The man hovers in front of him, arms crossed over his chest. His bright crimson eyes stare down at the younger male as he looks him over. The boy is a contrast to him in more ways than one; white-silver hair and bright aquamarine eyes just for the start. His own hair being dark brown, almost black, and cut short while the bangs that hang to the sides of his face shift as he moves to reach for the young man's pale hands.

"I should have figured you would open those…"

The silver-haired male struggles to open his eyes only to close them immediately. His hands reach out for the other man as he opens his eyes again, their hands meeting and the cold realization hitting him.

Long, cold fingers wrap around his. "You can't see, can you?"

The younger man seems to break at not being able to see, frustrated with the fact. He wants nothing more than to see this person in hopes of being okay or maybe even remembering something. Surely this person must be something to him; a friend, brother, father, lover... whatever he might be to him. Slowly, words form on his tongue. "Will I ever see again?"

The hand slips away from his only to reappear beside his head, smoothing cloth over his eyes. The man ties the ribbon around his head, careful to make sure it covers his eyes and isn't too tight. "Keep that on until you've gotten something to drink." The hand returns to grasp at his and the silver-haired male has to resist the urge to twine their fingers together for some odd reason. "Now don't let go."

The warning is just that as he slowly rises from the bed, tagging along behind his savior at a sluggish speed. The boy is careful as he follows along, keeping his head angled down towards his feet despite not being able to see them. Nonetheless, he's extremely careful as they reach a staircase and he does his best to not miss a step. Once to the bottom of the stairs it's a rather easy trip for them as they head for the kitchen.

The silence, however, bothers the shorter male. "Who am I?"

"A boy," comes the simple statement.

"I meant my name."

"Riku," he says as suddenly he lets go of the boy's hand. "Don't move." The order is followed by the click of heels making a trip across the room and back. The dark haired male raises a clear wine glass filled with a dark red liquid to Riku's lips, "Drink."

He does as he's told and takes the glass, tipping it forward and allowing a thick yet sweet liquid drain down his throat. The second the last drop hits his tongue the glass is removed from his grasp. Riku brings a hand up to his mouth, wiping at some that remained on the corner. "What was that?"

"Blood."

Instantly, he pales and chokes a little. The straightforward answer makes it so he's unsure of whether the man is lying to him or not – maybe it's a joke. "You're kidding."

A soft sigh escapes the man as he sets the glass down and reaches for the ribbon. He unties the knot as he tries to explain. "You gave me consent to make you forget your old life – your human life. Your new life is beginning. You are a vampire and you will drink the blood that I provide for you." The ribbon slowly pulls away from Riku's anxious eyes. "It might be rough at first but you will get used to it."

Riku does the first thing he can think of and shoves the man away. The talk is crazy to his ears and he stumbles back, unable to hold the glare in his eyes once he looks upon the man. Pale lips part for Riku's benefit, but only enough to allow a glimpse of the two sharp teeth hidden away. Even still Riku takes a deep breath. He might not remember anything but he does know one thing – he needs answers.

"Why did you do it?"

"I told you, you gave me permission."

"Fine, why did I do something like that?"

Riku watches as the man visibly hesitates on revealing something before deciding against it. Instead, he quickly changes the subject. "My name is Vincent Valentine. If you don't mind following me back upstairs, you need to shower before we leave."

He cocks an eyebrow at this Vincent Valentine, "If we're vampires isn't the sun a problem?"

The man merely turns and begins towards the stairs, simply expecting the boy to follow. The quiet man's deep voice echoes around them as he makes his way back upstairs. "It is only a problem to you. Even so we won't be leaving until the sun sets." He stops for a moment and his voice is even softer, quiet to the point where Riku is surprised he hears it. "Follow."

The demand is soft and gentle, shocking Riku just slightly. He can't help but follow the withdrawn, silent man. Even though he knows little about… everything… he finds comfort being around this person. That's when something overcomes him, a feeling of adventure and searching – something that seems so common to him. Riku follows him back to the room they had come from and Vincent immediately gestures to the right. "Relax and get a shower. I'll bring you clean clothes, so leave those in the basket."

Before Riku can dare to ask or say anything more Vincent is leaving the room. Slowly, Riku moves towards the bathroom with a sigh. The décor itself is lost to him as he steps inside and shuts the door. The blue, white and black is a blur to Riku, except for the light brown basket sat in the corner between the sink and the door. Riku goes straight for the shower curtain. He pulls it back and reaches for the knobs, not particularly paying attention.

Undressing, Riku throws his clothes into the basket and steps into the shower. What would be scalding water doesn't so much as feel warm on his skin. It all feels... numb. The water hits and runs down his body as he stands there, idling for a moment, before washing. It doesn't take him long to get clean and turn the water off. The curtain is pushed to the side and as he looks down he sees a dark blue towel on the toilet seat. He finds it strange, at first, that he hadn't even heard the door open.

Once dried off, he leaves the bathroom only to see a set of clothes laid out on the bed for him. Riku slips into the pair of black slacks, pale blue button-up shirt, and polished dress shoes. Everything fits comfortably, yet Riku isn't surprised at all. Especially since the holes in his memory persists. His eyes glance about the room and he half expects there to be a mirror, until he remembers just what he is.

_Vampire..._

Any normal person would have not only freaked out but had declared the man insane. It's funny how having no memory can open up the mind. Or so Riku thinks as he absentmindedly draws a hand up to his mouth. His lips part slightly and the tip of his finger runs along his teeth, quickly finding the obvious fang like canines. The opening of the door forces Riku to turn around and let his hand fall back to his side.

Vincent steps inside of the room with a jacket folded over his arm. He opens it up and holds it steady while Riku moves close, sliding his arms into the sleeves. The jacket now resting on his shoulders, Riku turns around rather quickly and he's not sure why. Part of it he knows is so he can etch every new memory into his mind to make up for the lack of past. Riku watches Vincent's every move; from the lifting of his arms to reaching behind Riku's head. Slender fingers tie the ribbon from before around his neck; a makeshift tie.

For a split second Riku manages to catch the smile that dares to lift at Vincent's lips. Regardless it's gone just as quick as Vincent turns to walk out. "Let's go. I'm sure you'd like to stretch your muscles after being in bed for days."

Despite the ability to settle, Riku can't stop his mind from throwing out every question he can think of – especially the most important one. "What about my old life?"

Vincent's back remains to him, hand idling on the door, "The small details have been taken care of. We'll be leaving shortly anyway." His fingers slide down the door as he crosses the threshold, intending on ending the subject at hand.

But Riku persists. All the while he follows Vincent out the door and down the stairs. "Where are we going?"

"That's why we're going to meet a friend of mine, he's going to help us with that."

Silence quickly follows as Vincent leads him to a carport that contains a rather compact silver car. Even as he climbs into the passenger seat Riku keeps his lips sealed while his mind can't seem to quiet down. He knows perfectly well why they would have to leave – his past – and he feels bad about it. More so that he doesn't know why what was so bad about his old life to begin with.

But that would negate the point of where he's at now.

Driving through the back roads, Riku glances out the window and spots a particular landmark – an old beaten road. Immediately he lurches over towards Vincent, tugging on his arm so forcefully that Vincent is forced to turn. The car slams on its brakes as Vincent rips his arm away, glaring over at Riku as he shifts the car into park. However, before he can say a word he's met with the door hanging open. Riku, not noticing the use of his power, is already running down the old road. He's over the hill and running down it in seconds, feet throwing up sand in his wake until he stops at the edge of the water.

An ocean is blanketed out before him while the moon's light shines down on everything, making the water glisten and the small island in the distance viewable through the darkness. There's no one around him and suddenly he's breaking – knees hitting the sand as he holds his head.

Darkness. Solitary. Weak.

It all surrounds him and he cant seem to make it go away after one look at that island. The shimmering blue of the water haunts Riku as his breath comes out in ragged pants – having forgot he doesn't need to breathe. The strength he knows he has is all but gone, just like his life. The realization that everything he's known is gone is daunting, fear-ridden even.

A hand falls onto his shoulder; strong, confident, and secure. It shatters the devastation that has surrounded Riku so easily, breaking him free and tugging him back into a warm reality. The young man slowly looks up as his hands slip from his hair. He's surprised to see crimson eyes gazing kindly, almost guiltily, down at him. Riku takes a shaky breath and rises to his feet, comforted by the hand that remains on his shoulder, while still wanting to appear strong to his supposed savior. Their eyes remain locked, although Riku struggles to see past the walls Vincent keeps built high.

The moment seems to last an eternity; smothered with moonlight and the ocean breeze. Yet it vanishes so easily as Vincent thrusts Riku behind him, shoes splashing in the water as it laps up the shore. Riku barely has a chance to blink. He raises his hands, stumbling backward, and grabs onto the back of Vincent's clothes. But he's far too distracted to notice the tension in every muscle of the other man's body.

All that registers is the soft, yet deep, voice that rings in his ears, "Riku...is that you?"


	3. Chapter 3

Blue... bright, sapphire blue that rivals the beauty of the sky are dull with worry. All the while they hold a tinge of relief in their depths. The young man standing in front of Vincent and Riku is nothing short of unique. His wiry body is accented with muscle and his brown hair seems to spike out in every which way. Thick corduroy pants hug his hips and a long sleeved gray shirt barely reaches the waistband. Most notably is his eye color – the brightest of blues.

Behind the young man is a petite female. Her auburn hair falls to her shoulders and bangs cross over her face, dipping slightly into her blue eyes. A long pink dress billows around her legs while an ebony jacket seemingly swallows her arms and torso, most likely belonging to the man. As she tries to peer around Vincent, her eyes water up just enough to be obvious and the brunet's expression turns to one of relief.

"Riku...it's you isn't it?" he asks, reaching forward with a shaky hand.

Vincent's glare forces the male to retract his hand, as if he had been burned. Curious, Riku looks up at Vincent. "Do I know him?"

The glare slips from Vincent's eyes with easy as he glances back at Riku. His words are gentle and try to comfort Riku, as well as pull him away from the situation. "You don't need to. Now let's go before we're late."

Vincent's hand links with Riku's as he begins to tug Riku away from the scene, hoping to get out of there as soon as possible. But the other male refuses to let that happen so easily. He lurches forward and clasps both hands around Riku's free hand, trying to force him to stop.

"I know it's you Riku! I'm not stupid! What happened? Come back to us, we care about you."

Despite the gentle tone, something in Riku's subconscious seems to snap. The memory keeps itself hidden from his view, but the angry and abandoned feelings that surge through him are more than enough. Riku yanks his hand away, stumbling back to bump against Vincent. "Stay away from me."

Vincent's hands fall onto Riku's shoulders, ushering him toward the pathway. He willingly does as he's led to, only sparing one glance behind him. The young man's head is hung while the girl hurries to him, trying to comfort him. But Riku doesn't stop. He heads straight back to the vehicle and slips inside without another word. Once the car begins to move again, Riku molds himself to the door, leaning his head against the window as he closes his eyes.

The second he blocks out everything else a single image invades his mind. One of that same brunet kneeling before him and clutching at his hand just as he had done a moment ago. Riku can even hear his voice calling him over and over again, the noise being a welcomed comfort for some reason.

"Riku, we're here." Vincent's words draw Riku out of his thoughts and back to reality. "Don't say anything to these men. I'll speak to them and you'll only speak if I can't answer their questions sufficiently enough."

Riku nods and slips out of the car. The second he turns toward the residence he's taken back. The intricate home is more closely resembling a mansion and it shocks him to see it on this small island. It's bland and dark against what he would expect of such a colorful place. Completely gray with black trim, it stands out like a sore thumb.

Straight to the door, Vincent knocks softly against it. It's barely a second before it opens to reveal a tall man with shortly cropped blond hair that's slicked back. The crimson eyes are a stark reference to what he is, not that Vincent would trust anyone that isn't his kind in this situation. The open white jacket flaps about his black vest as he turns, intending to lead them inside. Riku can only follow after Vincent, eyes not bothering to pierce through the dim lighting to see his surroundings.

He assume that he should trust them wholeheartedly.

And although he doesn't remember, it's not the first time he's proven wrong.

Before the blond man can turn around, soundless footsteps fly toward Riku. He barely has a chance to react, but with his enhanced movements it's more than enough time. Just as the attacker gets close, Riku pulls back his arm and throws it forward. His fist catches the other vampire in the gut. The force alone sends him backwards, well past where the blond stands – unconcerned of being hit as his companion sails past him.

The attacker wipes at his face and rises to his feet. Bright wine colored eyes cut through the darkness and glare playfully at Riku. His long crimson hair, tied back in a loose ponytail, sways back and forth behind him as he strides forward. As he comes to stand beside the blond, he raises a hand to his hip and cocks his head, showing the red marks on his cheekbones, "This one's good, Rufus."

Said man only curtly shakes his head. He ignores the other completely and focuses on his guests instead. "What have you done Vincent? You know bringing a newly formed vampire here only works Reno up." Rufus sighs softly. "Regardless, you are fortunate that I am in your debt. It was hard to cover the tracks of such a prominent resident."

Reno butts in quickly, grinning over at Rufus while his eyes remain on Riku. "Hey, let me play with him for a bit while you two big boys talk."

Rufus slips his hands into his pockets. "You truly are hopeless. What would the others think if they saw how you're acting?"

Giving the blond his undivided attention, Reno laughs. "They don't even know we're alive. And you say I'm forgetful." He turns his eyes back to Riku. "I'm sure you two need to talk so I'll just show the newbie the ropes." The only permission he receives is a subtle nod, one that sends Reno heading off to the left. "Yo, come on."

As Riku hurries off after him, Rufus and Vincent retreat deeper into the house to speak in private. Of what Riku can only wonder, but as he can only trust Vincent at the moment – he lets the thoughts slip from his mind. Instead he watches Reno's every move even once they're standing outside in the backyard, simply staring across at each other.

With a glint in his eyes, Reno smirks. "Don't worry about a thing. This whole neighborhood is full of vampires or those going to be. So don't worry your pretty little head."

Something about this man makes Riku's memory twitch. There's something so familiar that he can almost put his finger on it. And it makes him want to scream that he can't. Every time he thinks he's figured it out, the thought slips away like the wind.

Reno obviously takes that into account from the look on Riku's countenance. A chortle leaves his lips, "I'm sure knowing who you were you knew the name Lea. You could say him and I were... close. Heh, but trying to visit them is impossible. They probably couldn't handle this anyway."

Riku watches the redhead's eyes and he can almost pinpoint the sadness that tries to bury underneath a hardened shell. He almost feels bad for the vampire. Wanting to dig a little deeper, he tries to push Reno into spilling some secrets. "This?"

"Vampires and how it happened. It wasn't pretty. All those creatures clawing at us as we tried to run away, ripping us away from everything we knew." A broken laugh echoes around them. "Not that it matters. Being immortal is a bigger deal anyway. So, what has Vincent told you?"

"I know enough."

"Is that so?"

Riku barely has a chance to blink before Reno is standing in front of him, lifting him off the ground. The redhead tightens his fist into Riku's shirt, letting the smirk take over his face. "Well here's a lesson for ya. We have unnatural strength, hearing, speed, healing, and..." He inhales deep through his nose before exhaling with a blissful smile, "...smell."

As he lets go, Riku drops back to the ground. He stands as still as a statue, stronger and straighter than he has since he woke up. Reno takes a couple steps back and gestures around with one hand. "Go on, take a sniff."

Although he doesn't like to be ordered around by this vampire, Riku does as he's told. Upon doing so he's infested with the scent of dying flowers and other such plants. It's strong enough to make him want to sneeze – anything to get it out of his sinuses. But as he waits a moment he's able to pass through the scent of decay and find something much more sweet.

Riku curls his fingers into a fist and closes his eyes tight. He doesn't need to breathe, yet still he wants to gasp for air and curl into a ball. The pain in his chest is as if a fire is ripping through his very being – consuming all that is him. The urges refuse to die down and every second makes him shrink inward even more.

A sharp laugh cuts through the air, barely piercing Riku's ears. "I guess Vincent hasn't given you enough to satisfy you." Like the flip of a coin, his tone darkens into something that's almost cruel. "Better be careful. You wouldn't want to kill anyone."

Tremors make Riku's body quake like waves during a storm, ones that never cease to beat on the sandy beach. The fire reaches his throat and if it would help, he'd more than readily rip it out to stop the pain. He only wishes he could do something – cry, scream, groan – anything to plead for this torment to end.

Instincts take over – instincts to shield him from pain and reach a solution. It's as if he watches himself from a third perspective; watching himself race for the the solution to his symptoms. He can briefly see the panic on Reno's face, but it's not the panic of being attacked.

Riku snaps his head to the side and with one slight inhale he knows exactly where he needs to go for the nearest remedy. He darts for the fence, not even glancing at Reno who charges at him. He easily dodges and jumps the fence. Speeding down the street, it only takes a moment for Riku's instincts to reach the one thing he needs.

Snapping his eyes shut, he grabs a fistful of hair and forces the victim's neck to the side. He easily sinks his fangs into the supple neck and greets the relief that floods him. Warmth glides down his throat and he desperately laps it all up, barely able to satiate the thirst that refuses to die. It doesn't go away completely, but the pain dulls to a bearable ache. However, he tightens his grip on the strands of hair at the sound of a muffled moan.

A scream pierces the air and shatters Riku's fantasy. He opens his eyes and all he can see is another man picking up an unconscious woman. Riku pulls away from his prey as he watches the couple hurriedly leave before he looks down, eyes widening ever so slightly.


	4. Chapter 4

Riku immediately lets his fingers slip from the short, dark locks and allows the man to kneel on the ground. He catches his breath for a moment as Riku glances over his shoulder. He can see Reno and Rufus glaring holes int eh back of his head, but he tries not to pay them any mind. After all, reality is before him and the truth of what he's done makes his stomach churn. All he can feel is despair at the thought of hurting the one person that's cared for him since waking up. "I... I'm sorry."

Shaking his head, Vincent sits back on his heels before finally standing up. "No, I'm the one that should be apologized. A newly born vampire needs constant nutrition for the first week, otherwise it cannot survive. I suppose I'm surprised you lasted as long as you have without more." Vincent sends a glare over Riku's head, straight at Reno. Although he still speaks only to Riku, "Do you feel any different now?"

Riku tries to answer, to form any coherent words. But his eyes trail straight for the already healing puncture wounds on Vincent's neck. He watches several trickles of blood bead off, running down to soak into his collar. As he watches it disappear into the material, Riku's vision begins to spot with black. He can't focus and he can't grasp what flashes before his eyes.

He can see that boy and girl he had run into earlier. It's replaced by the view of water washing up around a small island. The one to follow is the greatest contrast. Everything is black around him save for the gray path he walks, suspended in the darkness.

A grown splits from Riku's lips as his word tilts sideways. Vincent immediately reaches for him, pulling him close into the crook of his arm. Crimson eyes are filled with nothing but worry while the expression on his face is as blank as always. Riku isn't given a chance to disagree before Vincent sweeps the younger boy into his arms.

Vincent walks toward Rufus and as he stops, tightening his grip on Riku. "I take full responsibility for what happens."

Rufus scoffs, as if holding back a laugh, although he backs down rather quickly. "I can't always bail you out. Remember that."

Not another word is exchanged as Vincent carries Riku past them, taking him straight to the car. Riku sulks the whole way there, not particularly liking the treatment. He's grateful the instance they get to their destination as Vincent finally put him down. Climbing into the car, they don't say a word to each other. Riku merely leans against the door with his head on the window.

The voice in the back of his mind grates on his nerves and makes him close his eyes so he doesn't have to look at the stars. The thoughts tell him that each star is different, housing a world of its very own. They bring back memories that should well be stripped away and it merely makes Riku's head throb painfully.

He's so absorbed in his own thoughts that he doesn't realize they've returned until Vincent's door shuts. Quickly getting out, he follows the dark haired vampire up to the front door. Once inside, Vincent closes up behind us and goes to walk past Riku, heading for the kitchen. Although he stops at the last second, "Is something wrong?"

Riku sighs, "I could have killed her."

"Her companion wouldn't have let you."

The answer doesn't help him at all. In fact, it only turns Riku straight towards what's really clawing at the corners of his mind. "What did you talk with Rufus about? It was about me, right?"

"It's none of your concern."

And he walks away. Vincent stops at the cabinet in the kitchen and pulls two glasses out. Riku hurries over to him, stripping off his jacket and throwing it over a chair. He watches Vincent open the fridge and pull out a large dark bottle. Riku glares at it, "If it has to do with me I have a right to know. If you don't tell me, I'll just go back and make them tell me."

A rather amused smirk lifts at the corners of Vincent's lips. "You'll be told nothing." He pours crimson liquid into each glass before returning it to the ice box. "The superior of the creatures that turned us gave only one rule. To never touch a certain group of individuals. Rufus believes I've crossed the line and doesn't wish to be a part of anything I do."

"Who are the people?"

Vincent lifts one glass to his lips, taking a small sip. "Those that are referred to as Princesses and Keyblade Wielders."

"And was I in that category?"

Striding past him, Vincent doesn't so much as glance at him. "Go to your room and rest Riku." He makes his way up the staircase and turns down the hall to the left.

Riku, assuming Vincent will be going ot his room, turns on his heels. He refuses to be told to let it go, especially when it concerns his – and Vincent's – well being. Angry, he can only think of getting as far away from Vincent as possible. Soundlessly, Riku hurries to the door and shuts it behind him. The second he's outside he breaks into a run, one that appears human enough.

He sprints through streets, back alleys, and skids around corners. But he can't find where he wants to go. He just doesn't remember anything and no amount of landmarks can bring his memory back. Infuriated at having run in circles at least a good three times, Riku wishes he could simply scream at the top of his lungs.

Mentally exhausted, he slips into the empty park filled with leaves falling from trees. The red, brown and orange hues struggle to bring a smiling memory into focus. But just as he reaches for it, it vanishes without a trace. His knees buckle and he plops down onto a metal bench. Leaning back, he stares up through the dying leaves and bare brances to that of the sky.

It's not like the eyes of that boy. The normal bright blue is replaced by a darkness so thick that he's not sure if the sun can burn it away in the morning. His eyes hop from star to star, losing himself in his thoughts once again.

He can't seem to work through any of them. He's aware that Vincent told him he chose this, to give up everything and start completely fresh. But the longing to have it all back remains in his heart and it aggrivates him. That how can he possibly want to go back to something he supposedly gave up so willingly.

A soft laugh shatters his thoughts, "I knew I'd find you eventually." The metal creaks slightly as the slender man sits down. "You always did love to sit here."

Riku lifts his head and looks over at the newcomer to see that boy. Everything is the same and it's comforting; bright smile, brunet spiky hair, and those enchanting blue eyes. Not sure what to say, he turns his eyes away. "I did?"

The male sighs and the sadness around him is practically tangible. "You mean you don't remember anything?"

"I didn't want to." Riku can't stop the words before they come and he can't stop the way they come out. His tone is empty, lacking any emotion whatsoever.

He scoots closer to Riku and reaches out to place his hand on Riku's hand. "Does that mean you don't want to now?" His warm fingers wrap around Riku's cold ones and it makes Sora have to resist the urge to drop Riku's hand. "G-Geez Riku, you should have brought a jacket."

"I don't need one."

He tilts his head to the side, completely clueless, "How come?" Riku refuses to look at him, merely keeps hie eyes wandering elsewhere. "You can always talk to me, I'm here for you." For a moment, Riku glances at him. He feels sorry for the brunet and opens his mouth slightly. He leans forward instantly, getting far too close for comfort, but Riku stays steady. After all, his breath hitches at the sight and he sits back down immediately. "You're... a vampire? But those aren't real."

A chuckle breaks from Riku's throat and he's talking before he realizes what he's saying. "After all we went through and you don't believe in vampires?" Riku sighs and pulls his hand away from the man's to cradle his own head. "Sorry, I shouldn't get your hopes up."

Smiling at Riku, he swings his feet ever so slightly. "You know Riku, you told me something the night you disappeared and I didn't get to respond."

"And?"

"You told me you loved me..." He leans toward Riku, turning so that he can stretch up to press his forehead against Riku's. His fingers reach up to grasp at Riku's shoulders, as if to hold himself still. "...and I wanted to tell you that I – I love you too."

The distance between their lips vanishes in one swift second as he captures Riku's mouth. He pulls away a moment later but keeps their foreheads touching. "Do you remember now?"

Riku gives a curt shake of his head and the boy moves back in for another kiss. Inwardly fighting himself, Riku tries to resist the urge to let this person continue. Part of him screams to run away before it's too late, before any memories bubble up to the surface. Riku draws his hands up to the brunet's shoulders but it's no use.

Memories bombard him the second Riku touches him. Everything floods back; drowning in darkness, running up stairs only to be too late, walking away from the twisted castle and down the path laid before him. Even more rise to the surface and Riku can't seem to take it as he remembers up to the night he met Vincent. Tears, ones he wasn't sure he could even have anymore, well up at the corners of his eyes.

It stuns the boy before him to the point where he pulls away. He wraps his arms around Riku, holding him close. "It'll be okay Riku, I'm here for you."

The reassuring words do little to comfort Riku. The darkness he knows all too well is already reaching for him. He grasps tightly at the boy's – no, Sora's – shoulders as he tries to stay conscious. But he can't, he can barely focus his eyes as he falls forward into Sora's awaiting arms. However, as he closes his eyes it's not the brunet's name that slips from his lips.


	5. Chapter 5

A groan breaks free from Riku as he begins to come to. His eyes flutter open slowly, almost afraid just in case the light is waiting for him. Thankfully, he's met only with dimmed lighting just up enough so that anyone that enters won't trip. He pushes himself up into a sitting position as he tries to take it all in. His head throbs constantly and his throat feels as though there's a tiny fire at the base of it, daring to spark up further.

The dark room is crystal clear to Riku. Everything from the plush gray carpet to the pale blue walls. It's all as he remembers and more. The door diagonal from where he sits opens slowly while Sora makes sure he's awake before it flings open the rest of the way. The brunet rushes over to his side. "Do you remember what happened?"

Riku nods slowly.

Only for Sora to grin. "Good. I figured I'd bring you to your place since it'd be safer." He chuckles, "I haven't told Kairi yet but she's been worried sick about you."

"Kairi..."

Riku teases the name on his tongue before it to alights a memory tucked deep into the darkness of his mind. He brings a hand up to his face, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. After a moment he lets his hand fall back into his lap where he stares at it thoughtfully. "Sora," the brunet perks up immediately at the sound of his name coming from Riku. "I – I remember."

"That's great! Because I have a question."

The frustrated look on Sora's face is almost cute, to the point where Riku swallows down a chuckle. "Yes?"

"Who's Vincent?"

"Huh?"

Sora waves a hand in the air, "Well you said his name before you passed out. Is that the guy you were with? Did he do this to you? Is there a way to reverse it? Are you okay?"

"Sora calm down. One question at a time." Riku takes a deep breath as Sora falls silent with an apologetic look crossing his sun-kissed features. "Yes, he did this because I asked him to. I'm fine but I don't think there's a way to reverse it."

He folds the deep gray sheets back and climbs out of bed. Sora follows him with his eyes while a pout curls at his lips. "But why?"

"Hmm..." Riku hesitates in answering. He busies himself with striding over to the closet and digging through it to find something fresh to wear. It at least allows him to not have to look Sora in the eye. After all, he's still a coward in his own eyes. "I couldn't handle knowing what I put you both through. Even now, nothing's changed." Riku straightens up as he places the clothes he's gathered on an open drawer inside the closet.

"I'll go back to Vincent. But I need you to go home Sora."

"What!?" Sora jumps to his feet with a loud thud. "But I just got you back! You can't ask me to do that." The brunet swallows hard as he takes a step forward. He reaches out to grab at the back of Riku's shirt, tugging gently at it. "Does he even care about you?"

It hurts to listen to those words, to hear that pleading tone in Sora's voice. He doesn't want to lose Riku again and that the latter can understand. He doesn't want to lose Sora either. But his heart is torn. Whether he truly meant to or not, he chose this and he has to accept it. Riku pulls at the shirt and begins to take it off, forcing Sora to let go.

"It doesn't matter, I have to go back. I can't just leave him."

"But-"

"No buts Sora. I'm going."

Riku pulls on a black, zip-up vest and a jacket over that. The second it rests on his shoulders Sora is surging forward. He wraps his arms around Riku and holds him still. " _Please_ , Riku, don't go." The short man tightens his hold when Riku tries to push his arms away. "He wasn't even nice the _first_ time we saw you. He might not let you come back."

A small bout of anger bursts inside of Riku and he's not even sure why. He wishes he knew himself, but it doesn't stop the sharp words from leaving his lips. "I'm not even supposed to have _contact_ with you."

The arms around him loosen before pulling away altogether. It's enough to make Riku want to back peddle. But he can't take back what's already been said. He can only try to move forward and figure everything out. Riku sighs heavily as he slips out of his pants and into a new pair of deep indigo jeans that are slightly ripped at the knees. He tries to distract Sora with new information as he kneels down to put on a pair of black boots.

"Vincent could be in trouble for turning me. I owe him at least some protection. Whatever turned him and the others originally isn't going to be happy that he went against the rules. That he wasn't allowed to touch Keyblade Wielders or Princesses."

"But why are they here?"

Riku shrugs as he stands up and finally turns back to Sora. Only to see the latter's widened eyes. Raising a brow, Riku takes a step forward. "Sora?"

"R- Riku your eyes. Why are they red now?"

"They're..." He trails off as he can't help but lift a hand to brush over his face. He wants to see it for himself to be honest. It's a strange thought not to have those bright blue-green orbs. He wonders why it's getting so prominent and he can only assume it's due to the inferno budding at the base of his throat. The thirst is so hard to ignore.

"I'm coming with you."

"No Sora." Riku pivots on his heel and heads out the door. "It's too dangerous," he continues as he begins down the hall and towards the front door.

"But Riku! If you get into trouble you'll need some backup. Besides, I think I can hold my own."

He tries not to say anything until he's at the door. It's the uncomfortable feeling that surges up from the very soles of his feet. This house is strange to him. It doesn't matter that it was his at one time because right now he knows this is just that. A house. His true home is back with Vincent. This is not his world any longer. As Riku opens the door he freezes. Sounds in the distant makes his ears perk with curiousity while the hair on the back of his neck stands on end.

Something isn't right.

Riku glances back towards Sora. "Don't move."

Just as the words leave his lips he finds his body slinging away from the threshold. Sora yells for Riku as he watches the dark blur throw his friend to the ground with a sickening thud. Riku can't help but let a groan break past his lips as all of the air is knocked out of him. A good thing he doesn't necessarily need to breathe. He tries to push himself up onto his elbows and once he does he regrets it. He should have just played dead.

The man before him is more than frightening and yet there's so much that feels strangely familiar. A tattered, black cloak conceals his tall frame and even up to his face. The large collared is held closed by three tarnished buckles. Walking over to Riku, rather it seems as though he glides over the ground, his long mussed black hair sways about his tall body. Riku does the only thing he can think of.

He leans on his left arm and holds his right out, summoning forth Way to Dawn. The dark blue and red blade flashes into his grasp which he then points at the approaching figure. But it doesn't deter him at all. He merely smirks that Riku even dares. However, his lips part just enough to flash Riku an extended canine. It does exactly what the man wants – striking a bewildered fear into the young man's heart. There's nothing right about this situation; he should have never left Vincent's side.

Riku cuts his eyes over to Sora for a split second, "Sora, run!"

Not another word manages to come out as the figure drops to his knees, straddling Riku, as he grabs at his throat in one hand. Sharp nails dig into the soft flesh and has Riku slashing at him. But the man is far faster. He catches Riku's wrist and slams his arm down onto the ground. The hand about Riku's throat slips up into his hair, yanking his head to the side. The smell of grass overwhelms Riku's senses as the man dips his face down to Riku's neck and the small beads of blood that dot his skin.

He hesitates only a second before parting his lips. Riku stares over to where Sora had stood. Thankfully, the brunet has run. But that doesn't help the fact that Riku knows he's messed up. The sharp pain from the fangs piercing into him dulls rather quickly. It's far from enjoyable as the feeling of everything being drained out of him. Riku remembers about Vincent, wondering if perhaps this is what the man is doing to him – gathering information in the dumbest way possible.

Riku's fingers relax and his eyes begin to close. The Keyblade vanishes as the man finally pulls away. As Riku falls unconscious, the Vampire lifts him up and throws Riku over his shoulder. Beginning to carry him away, the creature doesn't even bother to wipe away the blood that stains his lips.


	6. Chapter 6

Riku slowly opens his eyes, almost afraid of what he'll see. But once he does he notices only one thing; he's not alone. The creature stands off to the side watching him. Riku dares to sit up, although slowly at first. He can feel the sting in his neck even though when he touches it he finds no wounds. Drawing up to his feet, Riku glares at the creature and the venomous yellow eyes that stare him down.

The very presence unnerves him. He doesn't want to admit how much he's reminded of Vincent but he can't help it. However, that's where the familiarity stops – skin deep. The feeling that comes off this being in waves is far different, to the point where Riku summons Way to Dawn once more. This time he plans to catch the Vampire off guard.

"Who are you?"

The man turns toward Riku fully, stepping closer until they're only an arm's length apart. The tattered ends of the ebony cloak trail the ground even as the Vampire lifts his arm out from under it's protection. But Riku won't have it. Before those slender fingers dare to touch him, he jumps back and draws his Keyblade up into a fighting stance.

Even while Riku's calm, battle facade takes over. He can't stop the inevitable sinking feeling that takes place inside as the dark haired man calls for what looks to be a black cylindrical object. It's tiny for only a moment before it takes on the form of a scythe as black as the night. He points it straight at Riku with not so much as a glint in his eyes.

" _I know he's your keeper. Take me to him or suffer. It matters not if your a Keyblade Master – none shall stand in my way."_

Riku has to blink and try not to be surprised. Surely it's not the first time a voice has invaded his mind. The only difference is this being isn't trying to possess him. No, he wants him dead. Riku mentally shakes the shock away and tightens his grip on Way to Dawn. "I know better than that and I won't be taking you anywhere."

The Vampire moves faster than Riku can even comprehend. The next thing he knows is the scythe has transformed into a cutlass and the tip is pressing against his temple. Only a small bit of pressure is applied to get the point across. One Riku chooses to ignore.

" _How about now?_ "

Smirking, Riku can feel the adrenaline surging through his veins. _This_ is what he's good at, slinking out of the worst possible situations. He's at least grateful Sora did run, it makes this so much easier. "It's a shame, you don't know me at all."

Riku pulls back only for a moment, just enough to get the blade away from his face. The second he's clear of it, he lunges forward. In his other hand he takes a deep breath. He calls for his own darkness and allows it to feast on his fury of the moment. As the Vampire recalls the cutlass, it takes the shape of a shield to block Riku's attack.

"Ah!" Riku yells as the magic surges from his fingers tips.

Three balls of blue and black fire home in on the Vampire and slam into the shield. It sends the creature skidding back several feet. The smoke of the attack is blinding and that's what Riku counts on. Since he can't see through it, he's sure his opponent can't either. Taking the opportunity to run, he darts off in the direction of Vincent. Even from so far away he can feel his presence.

Riku is careful to keep to the shadows as he moves through the lesser part of the Islands. He doesn't want to raise any alarms. The people don't know about the Keyblade or what it entails, so a Vampire is certainly not going to be any better for them to discover. Grateful for the boost in speed, he makes it to the towering house in a matter of minutes.

He reaches to turn the knob only to find it locked. It makes fear become more noticeable in the back of his mind as he taps softly on the door. Before he can even pull his hand away, there's the sound of a click. Riku takes a deep breath as he opens the door only to have it freeze in his throat. The foreboding presence is close and it takes all of his will not to just run straight into the house.

Especially as he stops dead the second he crosses the threshold. Standing near the couch is Vincent with an ornate, three-barreled gun pointed straight at Riku. His crimson eyes don't dare give anything away as he holds it level. It's then that Riku realizes that Vincent has been waiting for quite awhile. Even his outfit is changed; away from formal and to something more casual. Yet still able to perfectly blend into the darkness with his black pants and shirt.

The only true difference is the added belt that rests diagonally over his hips. Attached to it are several packs of which Riku can only assume are ammunition for the deadly weapon staring him down. The thought of it reminds him of his own still clutched in his hand; he hadn't even realized he had kept it out. Riku dismisses it, as if to show Vincent he means no harm.

However, Riku quickly notices that those crimson eyes glare straight over the top of his head. "I figured you'd come to get me, Chaos."

" _You've gone against the contract._ "

"All I did was help someone."

A shiver passes up Riku's spine as a hand falls onto his shoulder just before that pitch black scythe circles around him – threatening to behead him but not residing dangerously close. It's the hand on his shoulder that slinks upward to grab a fistful of his short, white tresses. " _A man that has sealed your fate as well as everyone else._ "

"I won't be tricked again."

" _That will come at a price_."

But Vincent doesn't so much as flinch. Her merely lets his gaze fall down to Riku, who watches every move he makes. The former can only hope the young man knows what to do. Otherwise this won't be easy. Vincent tightens his finger on the trigger slowly, as if to give Riku more incentive. Just as Vincent lets the explosion process through the gun, Riku is already moving.

Despite the pain that courses through his head, he drops to his knees. The first bullet sails into Chaos' shoulder, forcing his grip to loosen on Riku. The latter pulls away and rolls toward Vincent under the lowering scythe. He springs up onto his feet as the second and third bullet slam into Chaos' chest. The recoil makes him stumble just for a moment – one that Vincent desperately takes advantage of.

He grabs Riku's wrist and yanks him towards the stairs. Pushing Riku into the first open room, he slams the door the second he's inside as well. Riku, however, is already moving straight for the window directly across from them. He slings it open and begins to crawl out only to hesitate. The initial thought that passes through him is this is stupid, he could hurt himself.

But Vincent won't stand for his old human thoughts daring to interject in their escape. He rushes over to Riku and pushes at him. Riku can barely blink by the time he's hit the ground, as if he were a cat leaping from a tree branch. Nothing hurts whatsoever and he's reminded that he could have done that on his own as Vincent lands beside him.

"Move." he mutters and urges Riku to get going.

Riku starts running and he immediately begins to head in a direction he hasn't been in since Vincent turned him. The latter merely follows and that alone is enough to surprise Riku. Not that he dares to question why he's the one in lead. He merely runs and doesn't dare to stop. They go through the back yards of residences and along the vacant streets where they can't be seen. The zigzag path they make should surely confuse anything trailing them, but even so Riku doesn't stop until he's just within sight of the small apartment building.

It's rather nice despite itself. Surely that's one reason why Sora would live here. That and his Mother has known the owner for quite some time. Since he won't be traveling with Riku and decided to stay in Destiny Islands for some time, this became his new home.

Vincent falls into step behind him as they start towards the front doors. "Where are we?"

"Sora's place."

The glare that passes his way is something Riku can only not look at. "That.. Chaos found me when I was with Sora. I just want to make sure he's safe."

Onlookers standing outside the building eye their appearance. Rather, Vincent's. He's more than a suspicious character with his holster pistol and packed laden belt. Riku avoids their eyes in an effort to simply avoid confrontation. He doesn't need anyone bolstering about demanding who his _friend_ is. Riku enters the building first with Vincent right behind him. He moves straight to the desk where an elderly man sits with a book in his hands.

At the sight of Riku, he smiles big. "Riku! I haven't seen you in a while. How are you?"

He's thankful that the old man has his glasses on the table instead. All he has to do is simply dodge unnecessary questions. "Good. I'm here to see Sora but he said he lost his extra key."

"Oh don't even fret." The old man swivels in his chair and opens a draw in the wall. He returns with a small silver key in hand. The man stands and places it into Riku's extended hand. A smile laces the man's lips. "Just tell Sora to bring it back when he's made a copy."

"Thank you."

After a nod and a smile in return, Riku turns away with the key in hand. He moves straight for the far right hallway. The second we're out of earshot, he can feel Vincent's eyes on him. "Why were you with Sora?"

Riku flashes narrowed eyes up at him as they reach the stairs, "He's my friend."

" _Was_ your friend."

Taking the first step up, Riku halts. "You can't erase bonds even if one of the people involved forgets."

Vincent hesitates to follow even after Riku is storming up the stairs. He knows what the younger man said is true. But only because he can recall it from the memories he had seen upon turning the youth. They're painful and far too sad for his liking. To which he promptly hurries after Riku in an effort to get away from the thoughts. He catches up with Riku as the latter is unlocking the door to Sora's apartment.

Just before Riku opens the door he glances over his shoulder, "I expect some answers."

Then he sends the door slowly swinging open. The both expect to see Sora or to hear him at least. But as the two Vampire stride into the room and close the door they're welcomed with nothing but silence. Vincent's boots scoff to a stop beside Riku. "Where is he?"

Riku shakes his head, "He just hasn't made it back yet." He moves straight for the worn, gray couch and plops down on the end closest to Vincent. The room has little decoration but it does have nicknacks scattered about here and there. Souvenirs from Sora's many adventures. Riku glances over to Vincent, "Well?"

"What happened?"

A sigh ghosts over Riku's lips as he sinks into the soft cushions. "Sora found me and after I passed out he took me back to my old house. When I went to leave Chaos was there. Before I could do anything he bit me."

Vincent seems to mull over that as he strides over to the couch. Once he's taken a seat beside Riku he lowers his gaze to the floor. Everything about him is tense and guarded, making Riku only gaze at him. "That creature is what created Rufus, Reno and I. As well as many others."

"Then why couldn't he find you himself? Why tail me?"

"I don't know."

"Alright, why does he look like you."

Vincent lowers his head, letting it lean on an upraised palm. His elbows press against his legs as he sits there. "When my world fell to darkness, I was near death along with many others. All I could think about was revenge. So I signed that creature's contract." Fingers tighten around the strands between them. "I gave him a vessel – a form to mimic – so he could escape the darkness in exchange for a way out."

He's heard a reason like this from another man. One who's life ended tragically. Riku sits up and places a hand on the couch. That's as far as it goes, retracting it at the last second. "What do you plan to do now?

"It's my sin and now I've set him free by breaking our contract the second I changed you."

"You knew."

Vincent lifts his head, hands idling as his blank crimson gaze meets with Riku's angered ones. Riku rises to his feet, "You knew what was." The statement is so solid and sound that Vincent stays silent, not daring to say a word. "Why? Why did you do it?"

He gives a gentle shake of his head. "You were suffering."

"And now everyone else will!"

"I'll stop him so be quiet."

Riku thinks for a moment. He has the Keyblade and his magic. He's trained for combat and now has the ripe abilities of a Vampire on his side. He should be able to handle himself. That only leaves Vincent. "Have you drank today?" A perplexed expression is his response. Riku rolls his eyes, " _Blood._ Doesn't drinking it make you stronger?"

"Yes it does. Even more so if that person is human."

Pushing up the jacket's sleeve on his left arm, Riku holds it out toward Vincent. "Then hurry up. We don't have much time."

"It's useless," Vincent counters as he pushes Riku's arm away.

But this only makes him more determined. Riku huffs just before he shoves at Vincent's shoulders. The latter sits back against the cushion as Riku plops down into his lap. He holds his arm up with his wrist exposed. "It's only useless if you don't try."

He can't deny the logic and at first Riku half expects to be shoved off. Instead, an arm encircles around his waist as if to hold him steady. Vincent's right hand places into Riku's left, cupping around it as he sits up. Leaning his face down to the cool skin, he hesitates only for a moment.

Riku braces himself for the pain but it never comes. There's only the feeling of lips against his skin as the warm blood glides over it and into Vincent's mouth. Clutching his fingers around Vincent's, he has to press his lips together to stop a noise from leaving him. It's completely different from when Chaos had dared to drink his blood. This time it has his body feeling as though it's on fire and there's nothing that can put it out – not that he wants that.

Not even realizing he's breathing heavy, Riku is thankful for the arm holding him still. Fingers clutch at his side and he can't stop from wanting them to touch him more. The euphoria of it all has his mind blank. He only knows one thing as Vincent pulls away. The warm tongue glides over his wrist as his body begins to heal the small wounds already.

Their eyes lock and Riku can't resist the pull. He leans his face closer, tilting it down just as Vincent looks up. He captures the dark-haired man's lips in a sultry kiss. One that has their lips meshing again and again in search of more. Riku's free hand grabs at Vincent's shoulder, fingers digging into the material and skin beneath as they kiss again.

It's needy and has no purpose. But there's a comfort in the feeling of their lips together. The feeling of two dark beings being able to find solace in one another. That even though his dark side is blacker than black, there's someone that thought he was worth helping without knowing anything.

Riku clutches so desperately at this that he doesn't even notice the footfalls nor the opening of the door until his ears catch onto a familiar voice. A hitched breath followed by a whisper, "R- Riku?" just before the door bounces off the wall.


	7. Chapter 7

Immediately pulling away from Vincent, Riku's eyes lock onto Sora as he stands in the threshold. His bright blue eyes are wide and his entire body seems like it could blow away in the wind. His lips try to form a question but only a huff of air comes out. Not wanting to make it worse, Riku tries to put more distance between him and Vincent. He moves to the end of the couch instead. The wounds on his wrist are already healing, something he vaguely takes note of as he lets his arm hang against his side.

"Sora, where were you?"

"R… I was looking for _you_!" Sora takes a step forward but he stops when his eyes slip over to Vincent. He swallows hard and tries to keep his focus on Riku. "I should be asking you that! Why are you here?"

The rest of his question is silent but Riku understands. They all do; why is Vincent here as well. Riku moves forward towards Sora, trying to calm him by feeding forth information. "That thing that attacked me followed me. I thought he might come for you. I just wanted to make sure you were safe."

"What was it?"

"The thing that started it all. Now listen to me Sora, I need you to do something for me."

The brunet hurries over to stand right in front of Riku. "What?"

"I need you to go get Kairi and leave. Go straight to Mickey or Yen Sid."

"What about you? Aren't you coming?"

Riku places his hand on Sora's shoulder, smiling down at him. "I'll be right behind you."

They all can feel the presence before they see it, much less hear the footsteps. All any of them know is that suddenly the door slams shut and black fills that small space. The cloak swirls about Chaos' feet as he stabs the stomps the ground with the end of his scythe. It glints in the dimmed lighting and it takes all Riku has to move. He pushes Sora behind him, to which the brunet trips over his own feet and flops down onto the couch. Vincent has already moved and stands behind Riku with his gun aimed between Chaos' eyes.

Vincent glares at him, "You can't harm these two. They're of the light."

The scythe transform into a pistol as he levels it toward Riku. _"That matters not to me. You broke our contract."_ Those bright golden eyes slip over to Sora as he rises to his feet between Riku and Vincent. He grabs at the back of Riku's jacket, tugging on it. _"That one would die for you, Riku. It would be rude not to grant him his wish."_

Riku narrows his eyes and calls for Way to Dawn, lifting it toward Chaos as well. "I can protect him from you."

" _Mere words._ "

What they all had perceived to be Chaos' shadow seems to move and twitch about his feet. The darkness spikes out towards them, painfully slow. Chaos glances over to Vincent. " _The creatures I will unleash are far deadlier than any Heartless or Nobody._ _You are one of them. Return to my side."_

Vincent says nothing, but his eyes remain steeled and his gun poised at the ready. Riku can feel Sora's fingers tighten into the hem of his jacket and he knows this is bad. Fighting in tight quarters is not something he's used to. Not when he has someone on his side that has a disadvantage. He watches the pistol in Chaos' hand droop down toward his level and fire. Although, there's truly no sound at all. But the small, dark bullet soars straight for Riku.

At the last moment, Vincent steps in front of him – taking it deep into torso. While it doesn't seem to be very powerful, the shock waves of pain that it sends through Vincent's body has him dropping to his knees. He drops his gun to the floor to instead grasp at his chest; breathing heavy, eyes pinched shut. The shadows touch Vincent's knees and begin to crawl up his body.

Riku follows him to the ground, "Vincent!" He readies a Cure spell, hoping he remembers how to do this write and that it doesn't cause any additional damage. But he doesn't get the chance to use it. The green glow about his hand fades away almost instantly as Sora tugs him backward. Riku's hand flails, trying to grasp at Vincent; his shirt, hair, shoulder – _anything_. But it's too late. The puddle of darkness underneath him becomes a portal of its own and begins to drag him down into it. Riku's not even sure if Vincent notices, not with the pain still surging through him.

He tries to pull away from Sora, but the brunet manages to get in front of him. Arms wrap around his middle as Sora presses the side of his face to Riku's. "Riku, stop!"

Eyes widening, Riku finds they move from Vincent's disappearing form to the ever changing weapon in Chaos' grasp. "Sora!" Is all he can get out as he shoves the brunet away.

It's all it takes. Sora slips easily into combat mode. His Kingdom Key springs to life in his hand as he spins around, ricocheting the bullet off his Keyblade. The grin that forms on his face is something Riku hasn't seen since their last battle together. "I've fought guys that are a better shot, you'll have to try harder than that."

"Tch, don't get cocky Sora."

Sora laughs, "I didn't see you blocking it."

" _You are nothing more than children that refuse to be ignored."_

Riku tightens his fingers around the hilt of his Keyblade, "And you won't take a hint. Now, where did you send Vincent?"

" _The likes of you has no authority to question me._ "

The pistol changes into the form of a long cutlass, one that curves slightly along the length. Riku moves right at that moment. He brushes past Sora before slamming his Keyblade against the sword. The strength Chaos has easily overpowers Riku before the fight even starts. He pushes back just enough to have Riku skidding backwards. But that doesn't mean it ends. Sora springs forward next; swinging his blade in an upward swipe. Chaos blocks and parries, although Sora catches the counter as he's forced onto one knee.

But Riku is already lunging forward again, forcing Chaos to cease his attack and switch to defense once more. This time, Chaos meets the attack with a medium-sized broadsword. The short swing manages to have enough power to make Riku's fingers twitch about his sword. He almost can't keep a grip on it as Chaos flings him backward. Crossing the room in a hair of time, Riku slams against the wall – knocking the air right out of his lungs. Something he still hasn't gotten used to not needing.

Sora retreats immediately with a Cure command at his fingertips. It's not meant to be though. He drops to his knees, straddling Riku's legs. Worried that there's no crimson gaze returned, Sora touches his hand to Riku's shoulder. "Ri-" The magic dies instantly as Sora is pressed up against Riku. He grips tightly at Riku's shoulder as a small scream rips from his throat. This forces Riku to come back to the battle. Especially as the pain digs into him as well – quite literally.

Riku slowly takes it in, almost not able to believe it. Chaos stands closer to them with the shadows lifted about his feet. One in particular, quite larger than the rest, is held up and towards them. Or rather, it pierces straight through Sora's chest and into Riku. Pinned to the wall, Riku can do nothing but try not to let the blood rise up his throat. Every cell of his being hurts even though his regeneration tries to fix him. Sora slumps against him with red coating his lips and his head against Riku's shoulder. "R… Ri- Riku."

Their Keyblades vanish as Chaos has the shadow yank out of them, returning to his side. The darkness spreads out behind him as he begins to fade into it. Riku can only glare as he clutches at Sora. He doesn't need to see the darkness that's pooling around him; he can feel it, smell it. The scent makes him want to gag especially as he sinks into it with Sora on his lap, clinging to him as blood stains their clothes. Even as they vanish beneath the surface, Riku keeps his being steady. "It's- It's okay Sora."

Even as black shrouds them as they fall through it, Riku wills all of his magic to envelope Sora. He does everything he can to staunch the blood flow and heal the wound. He's just not sure if mere magic can fix this with the darkness tinging at the wound. His own is slowly healing but the pain makes his body quake even still as his body begins to mold back together around the hole. Just as he thinks they'll be falling forever the darkness splits.

The pale light of the moon is the first and last thing he sees before he crashes through water. Sora begins to slip from his grasp as the current pulls at him. But Riku refuses to let him go. He clutches onto the brunet's shirt while trying to make his legs move. He can't let it end here. If he does then it's all over and Chaos will win. Riku tightens his lips and blocks out the air, setting into his Vampire instincts of not breathing at all.

Riku wraps an arm around Sora's waist and begins to swim toward the surface. The dark water begins to give way as the glassy surface reflecting the moon's light begins for him to hurry. Not a moment too soon he breaks through and inhales as much air as possible. He lifts Sora up and the brunet sputters, still conscious enough to do at least that. Riku is beyond happy as he begins to paddle them towards the shore – the shore of the island where it all started.

Part of him wonders if Chaos sent them here on purpose. But he doesn't dwell on it long, not while Sora is in need of major healing. The water gives way to sand quicker than he had thought it would. Although grateful nonetheless. He lays Sora down on the sand and brushes the light brown hair from his face. "Sora?"

Lashes flutter against his skin that's growing increasingly pale. They part to give way to blue eyes still as brilliant as the ocean on a sunny day. "R… Ri..."

"Just hold on." Riku kneels beside Sora and holds out his hands, casting more than just one Cure spell. The green slow seems to never fade even as Riku's magic supply dwindles quick. Yet the hole in Sora's chest doesn't seem to be shrinking like it should. Growling, angry at himself for not being able to fix this, Riku prepares another Cure.

But Sora begins to lift a hand. He only makes it halfway before it begins to fall back toward the sand. Just before it does, Riku catches it – grasping the hand in both of his. A cracked smile touches Sora's features, still himself even as death claws at him. "Ri...ku."

He doesn't know why he stills his efforts to save him, perhaps in the back of his mind he knows it's useless. No amount of magic can fix the wound that's taking his best friend away. Instead, he leans down to hover his ear next to Sora's mouth. "What is it?"

"I-" A raspy breath that has chills running over Riku's skin. "-love you."

The exhale makes Riku's blood freeze. He can't breath or speak. He can only slowly sit up and stare down at Sora's now closed eyes. Swallowing past the lump in his throat is impossible. His whole body hurts far more than his own wound that's healing. It makes him hate this – that he's alive and Sora isn't. Riku grits his teeth as his lips tighten together, trying not to let the sound out. But the tears are already rolling down his cheeks by the time his forehead touches Sora's chest. The loud, sorrowful moan that breaks from his lips makes his entire body shake.

Fingers still grasping at Sora's hand, he sobs into the blood-soaked clothes. The water laps up about his knees as he trembles from the violent sobs that roll throughout his body. It's not until the faint sound of vibrating that he dares to lift his head. Red cover his face and bangs, but he pays it no mind. His body falls into auto-pilot in the effort to find the device he knows is on Sora's person. Several pockets later lead him to the small phone; a cheap little thing that miraculously survived the plunge into the ocean.

Riku opens the little flip phone and lifts it to his ear. A sweet, familiar voice reaches out to him. "Geez Sora, it's about time you picked up! We were supposed to meet up, where are you?"

One. Two. Three shaky breaths before he's able to answer. It's just enough to calm his emotions so he can swallow them past the lump in his throat. "Kairi."

"Riku? Is everything okay? You sound-"

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry? Are you talking about disappearing? As long as you're safe-"

"I'm not. And..." He takes a deep breath. He has to steel himself or he'll end up taking more innocent people down with him – all because of one mistake. It wouldn't be the first time. "Neither are you. They got Sora. I'll explain everything when I get back. For now, Sora is – Sora's on the island."

"Riku, you're scaring me. What's happening? Sora is okay right?"

"Sora's dead Kairi." It's hard to say but after it leaves his lips he feels the strength begin to return to him. It's just not the strength he normally harnesses. "I'll send Mickey to get you. Until then stay home and don't go anywhere."

He doesn't say another word. Clicking the phone shut even as she rattles off another question, Riku tries to take a breath. However, it's all in vain. Instead he leans over Sora and kisses his cheek, "I love you too Sora."

Drained in more than one sense, he allows the raw anger build up in his body as he stands. The ferocity for revenge is the only thing that has him turn and walk toward a Corridor of Darkness he summons. He doesn't care if he's properly dressed to fight the darkness nor that he dared to summon a corridor after so long. No, all he wants is Chaos dead at his feet and he doesn't care what it takes.

The corridor closes behind him as he begins the slow walk into a place he's unsure of where he's even going. It's hard to determine where one will end up when using a corridor to go to place never visited before. He keeps faith that he'll be led in the right direction just like he always was in the past. Each and every step takes him deeper into a darkness he has never smelled before.

It's intoxicating to the point he wants to gag and try to get it out of his senses. The darkness only becomes more dense with each step until he's sure he's found the center of it all. He can feel eyes on him as he picks up his pace and moves toward the light in the distance. It reminds him of what Mickey said – that in the deepest darkness there's always light. Even this is no different. He glances about the darkness to catch hints of beady, scarlet eyes that stare at him.

They're vastly different than the Heartless. Those Riku knows he can fight and defeat, after all he has a special weapon to deal with them. But these creatures that lurk around him are minions of Chaos and if they're anything like their creator he wont stand a chance. But that doesn't stop Riku from walking either.

As he gets to the edge of the darkness he notices one thing. The light is a circle of water to which Chaos stands atop. To the back it washes up a small stretch of pale sand where a stone structure swirls upward like a conk shell. A bright light pulsates inside of it and seemingly keeps these Vampires near the water. Not even Vincent stands near it. He keeps to the edge with the water lapping up around the ankles of his boots. Vincent doesn't so much as acknowledge Riku, merely keeps his eyes directed to the creature in the middle of the water.

Rather, on top of the water.

Chaos stands with his cloak flowing about him and dipping into the water, the only thing that breaks through the surface. He takes note of Riku but continues with speaking to those that lurk about the area. " _Destroying the Keys will allow us to finally smother this light and escape permanently. We will be swift and sure – to sink the worlds into darkness so we can move freely without harm."_

Riku takes a step forward, feet leaving the darkness and touching onto the water's surface. Much to his surprise he doesn't fall through. Instead he can easily walk forward with ripples extending out from each step. This finally draws Chaos' golden eyes to look at him. _"I was going to let you live and yet here you are."_

"I won't let you destroy the light." Riku summons Way to Dawn and draws it up in a fighting stance. "Darkness is never the problem, it's things like you."

He lets his gaze drift over to Vincent before returning to Chaos. It only makes Chaos chuckle or rather mentally so. " _Even_ your _light is too much for him. Turn around or be cut down._ "

Tightening his grip on his sword, Riku takes a breath to steady himself. "You're wrong and I'll prove it."

He goes to move, to lunge forward and attack that evil being. But he finds he can't. A hand grasps at his wrist and refuses to let him swing his sword. It's then that he glances over to where Vincent had been standing only to see he's gone. Lips ghost over his ears and send shivers down his spine. A gentle whisper, far deadlier than any blade, shatters Riku where he stands.

"I'm sorry."

The sound of a click is the only thing that warns Riku of what's to come. He looks down as fire seemingly explodes throughout his chest. Already able to feel the blood that's seeping from the wound that had just healed. The pain returns tenfold but the ache of betrayal is far worse than any attack. The hand leaves Riku as he begins to fall backwards. Chaos disappears from his view and is replaced by the light streaking through the darkness. Way to Dawn vanishes away as he crashes through the water, sinking lower and lower until there's no light at all for his eyes to focus on.


	8. Chapter 8

Darkness and silence. It's the only thing Riku can focus on. His mind seems to float in a suspension of conscious and unconscious. The physical pain is absent but the ache in his heart from the utter betrayal is something far realer than any wound. It drives him close to madness to think about it. All the while a voice in the back of his mind tugs at him; telling him to give up, fade into the darkness, can't save anyone anyway.

But when the thought tries to come any closer to the forefront it's pushed back with the memory of Sora and Kairi. He lost Sora, lost him so quickly. Kairi is still out there and she's waiting for him – worrying about him. He can imagine Sora mocking him before slipping into a serious yet soft chime of a voice.

Riku's eyes snap open only to regret doing so. The light temporarily blinds him, making stars spot his vision as he tries to regain control of his sight. A groan breaks free from his lips while he tries to sit up. At least until a hand lands on his shoulder, pushing him back down onto the bed. A sweet voice calls out to him, "You shouldn't be getting up. I've just gotten you patched together."

He lifts a hand to his face, rubbing at his eyes, before laying the back of his hand on his forehead. Tilting his head to the side, he spots a friendly smile and bright green eyes. Spirals of brown hair fall to the sides of her face while the rest is tugged back with the help of a pink ribbon. Her dress matches the ribbon while her brown boots are laced tightly to her feet. He takes a breath, still not used to not having to do so. "Patched together?"

She nods, "Mhm. Leon found you in the ravine with a wound. Thankfully it missed anything vital." She slips on a comforting smile. "Whoever fired it must have been a poor shot."

Riku scoffs, letting his eyes drift closed once more. "He knew exactly where to shoot."

The woman drops the subject and instead carries onto a different one. She pulls her hand from Riku's shoulder and sits down on the small stool beside the plainly dressed bed. "You know Sora?" Riku glances over to her and she can't help but giggle, "You mentioned him while you were asleep."

Riku prepares to retort, surely she's met him from the tone. But the sudden opening of a door followed by heavy footfalls stops that. A tall man enters the room with nothing but confidence welded into his very posture. Steel blue eyes fall onto Riku before turning to the woman. "Aerith, how is he?"

He can't help but look at the man. From the scar between his eyes to the belts that hang off the hips of his black pants. A furred collar along his jacket brushes against the sides of his tanned features. It's only then that Riku's eyes dip down to the sword clutched in his hand; an elegant silver blade.

Aerith smiles over her shoulder, "He should be fine. Why don't you put that down and go tell our guest that he's awake." The man goes to turn away only for Aerith to call out to him. "Oh and Leon, send Yuffie for more potions."

Nodding, the man leaves the room while Aerith returns her gaze to Riku. She gestures to his chest. "I healed it the best I could with what magic and medicine we have. But you will have to be careful."

"Riku?"

Lolling his head to the side, Riku slips his hand back down to the bed. His eyes lock onto the petite frame of a dear friend. The comfort in seeing him is worth more than any amount of Munny. The short mouse wears his usual world-traveling attire; red pants and vest adorned in zippers with bright yellow shoes. As he comes toward the bed Aerith stands and makes her way to the door.

"Hey, Mickey."

Those large eyes seem sad and worried, but the small King merely sits on the stool and looks up at his friend. "I almost couldn't believe it when Leon sent word about you."

Riku lets their eyes connect and he finds it sweet that Mickey doesn't point out his crimson eyes. He slowly turns his gaze up to the ceiling, finding it hard to look Mickey in the eye. "I was afraid and agreed to wipe my memory, become a vampire. There's a creature, Chaos."

Mickey nods, "Yen Sid told me about him before I came to see you."

"He-" It's hard to say, harder than Riku had ever expected. "-killed Sora. The vampire than turned me went with him. I tried to follow them. But you can see how that worked."

Mickey's brow furrows as he pinches his eyes shut. He loved Sora, wanted nothing more than to keep the boy safe. Perhaps that's why Riku keeps his eyes away – not wanting to see the sight of a friend filled with grief. Grief he alone helped cause. "So, we gotta kill them before they get to far into their plan."

Riku can't help himself, it's almost as if it's a flinch. But he sits straight up only for a dull pain to shoot through his chest. Not having drank any blood has surely slowed down his ability to regenerate. Nonetheless, he casts it to the side to finally lock eyes with Mickey. "No. Chaos is the one behind this, he's who we need to take out. But right now I need you to go and get Kairi before he does."

"I'm not just gonna leave ya here. You don't even have a Gummi Ship and I know you won't be stayin' here waitin' on me."

A smirk crosses Riku's features for the shortest of seconds. "Well then I guess I'll just go with you."

Mickey shakes his head but the smile is still there. An adventure without a friend is lonely after all. Especially when facing the blackest of darkness in the midst of it all. He nods toward Riku as he hops up off the stool. "I'll go let Leon know the situation then we'll head off! You'd better get dressed."

Pink tinges Riku's cheeks for just a short moment before he shoves the embarrassment away. He looks down as Mickey leaves the room only to notice he's covered in bandages. It's hard not to chuckle, even harder to muffle it by drawing his lips into a taut line.

"What's so funny?"

He hadn't even heard the patter of footsteps. Riku glances over to the door to see Aerith striding back in. A smile decorates her lovely features. Pushing the sheet back and swinging his legs over the lip of the bed, Riku prepares to stand up. "It's nothing."

Aerith rushes over to him, ready to support him should he need it. But Riku waves her off and begins taking the bandages off. The slight hint of pain still stings his body – surely because he needs nourishment and rushes to get any at the moment. That first time flashes back into his mind as he lets Aerith assist in removing the bandages only slightly tinged with red.

He doesn't want to hurt anyone and he'll be damned if he takes any blood from a friend. No, he can handle this. It's exactly why he averts his gaze as Aerith passes by and her hair falls away from her neck. The sweet smell that reaches for Riku is tempting – far too much. The second she has them off she gasps and it's enough to distract him. "What is it?"

"You're… healed?" She places her hand over where the wound had been only to find smooth skin – not even a scar. "How?"

Riku blatantly ignores the question; not daring to answer it for fear of what she might say or how she may react. He merely redirects by striding over to a chair in the corner that has what appears to be his clothes, save for his pants. Beginning to shrug into his vest and jacket, Aerith merely giggles. "It has to do with your eyes doesn't it?"

He spins around only to see her bring a finger up to her lips.

"Your secret is safe with me."

Unable to help but wonder how much she either overheard or assumes, Riku hurries to put on his boots. "Thank you for your help," he says as he straightens back up and makes a move for the door. Well, a move that he tries to keep as human as possible.

"It's no problem at all. A friend of Sora's is a friend of ours."

Riku tries to mentally shoulder past that statement, past the thought of Sora, as he leaves the room and enters a much larger one. There stands Mickey and the man from before, who glances toward Riku as he enters. Leon raises an eyebrow, "You're cleared to leave?"

His eyes bored into Riku and the latter isn't sure why he seems to take him in so thoroughly. Then again, he's not sure what Mickey has told him just yet. Riku moves his gaze, not wanting to look at much of anything with his eyes as red as blood. "Yeah. Are we ready to go?"

Mickey nods, "You bet'cha!" He nods and thanks Leon before heading to the door. Riku falls in line behind him as they make their way out of the house and through the twisting way of the residential district. It's not long before they're striding into an open square. Mickey clicks something that Riku can't see and suddenly a large Gummi Ship is before them. The multicolored ship opens for them.

"I take it you're driving?"

Laughing, Mickey enters the Gummi Ship first. "Yup!"

**(_)(_)(_)**

The trip is far shorter than Riku remembers it ever being. But with his mind preoccupied he's as least happy that he didn't have to talk all the way there. Micky did most of that. Nothing serious, just friendly chatter of how everything is. Everyone from Minnie to Master Aqua, Mickey keeps the pleasantries coming. At least until Mickey cloaks the Gummi Ship upon their landing and they're striding away from it.

It's only then that Mickey halts for a moment. Riku turns partially, raising an eyebrow as a gust of warm breeze rushes past them. "Something wrong Mickey?"

"Riku… What are those creatures like?"

He thinks for a moment, trying to come up with an explanation. But he honestly doesn't know much aside from what he's been told about himself. In truth, it's frustrating. "They're not like Heartless or they don't appear to be. I don't think our Keyblades will be doing much damage to them aside from how hard you hit them."

Mickey seems almost a little unsure, something Riku understands all too well. He gives a brief smile before leaving Mickey to look up at his back. "I'll go get Kairi then we'll meet you back at the Land of Departure. Go let Yen Sid know and start forming a plan."

"But Riku!"

A light shake of the head, "It's fine. I have enough energy to get us there. Besides, I can handle this."

Reluctantly, Mickey turns and rushes back toward his ship. Riku doesn't dare look back, he can only move forward. His boots dig into the sand as he begins to walk. Yet his eyes sweep out over the water as it ripples up onto the shore. The water is as deep as the sky that hangs over it. No stars or moon dare to shine tonight. It's all hidden by heavy, dark clouds.

"Ahhh! Help me, please! Someone!"

The shrill scream reaches his ears and he's afraid for a moment. It hits him in the chest like a ton of bricks to where he can't even pinpoint how far away the sound is. He only knows one thing as he starts running, sending sand flying up behind him.

He has to get to Kairi.

Riku doesn't even have to blink, he just runs until he can lock onto the young woman that stumbles down the shoreline. Those creatures chase after her. They're made of pure darkness from what it looks like. The only difference from the Shadows and NeoShadows are the fangs and human appearance.

Coming to a complete stop, he summons Way to Dawn just as he skids to a halt. Her bare feet bury into the sand as she clutches onto him. Her fingers curl into his jacket as she looks up at him. The tears in her wide, cyan eyes break his heart. He's always too late it seems.

"R- Riku!"

The white nightgown is absent of any color and Riku feels better – slightly. As long as she's unharmed then that's all that matters to him. His free hand reaches up and he brushes it over her face, wiping at her tears. "It's alright, they won't hurt you." The glare he sends those stalled creatures signifies that.

But still she draws her face down, pressing her forehead to his chest. "I… I didn't know what to do. There were so many and I'm out of magic already."

His hand falls onto the top of her head as he watches the moonlight break through the clouds. Those sad creatures before him remind him of what can happen. To let the darkness drown the body and the desire for blood overtake the eyes. He can imagine his own are crimson now as well. One thought he refuses to focus on.

Vampire or not, he has enough power to keep her safe.

The dozen creatures seem to split like a wave as the leader appears before them. And he looks the same as the last time Riku saw him.

"Vincent."

He gives a small wave of his hand, quieting the growling of the lowly vampires. "Give her over Riku."

Riku smirks, "You think it'll be that easy?" His hand slides down to wrap around her waist. "I won't let you touch her."

"I _will_ shoot you again and this time I won't miss." he says as his finger curls around the trigger of his gun as he raises it to level with Riku's head.

Kairi's fingers tighten into his clothing as she looks up at him. "A- Again? Riku?"

He can hear the chamber moving before it can even fire. Riku dismisses Way to Dawn temporarily to summon up a Dark Shield just in time. The blue, transparent barrier glimmers as the trio of bullets bounce off of it. Only for him to realize that it was just a distraction and he can't call a Corridor of Darkness fast enough.

Yanked out his grasp, Kairi falls onto the sand. Vincent's gun presses up under Riku's chin. One arm wraps around the Keyblade Wielder's waist while the other keeps his right arm bent behind his back in an iron grip. Under different circumstances he may had relaxed into the hold, but with the barrel cool against his skin Riku can only bide his time.

Yet even so Riku can feel Vincent press his cheek to the side of his head. Those lips hover above his ear, sending a chill down the nape of Riku's neck. "Run and hide Riku."

That's all there is before Vincent lets him go and shoves him forward, down onto his knees. As Riku sits back on his legs, ready for a fight, he realizes that they're all gone. Vanished and he can't help but want to scream. Always connected to the darkness, never able to run away completely. He scoffs. This is all ridiculous.

" _Run and hide Riku."_

Like he'll ever do that again. He's learned that's far from the way to do things. Glancing over to Kairi he sees her comforting smile. Even through it all she's still here and reaching out with that same kindness as before. "Riku… it's okay."

There's not an ounce of hate in her, not that he can see. He muses that it's probably because she's a Princess but not even that can undone the heart he's done. At least helped in. She rises with him, holding onto him as if afraid he'll vanish if she doesn't. "What do we do Riku?"

"We're going back to see Master Aqua. We need a plan before this gets out of hand." Riku lifts a hand, summoning a Corridor of Darkness. He glances down at Kairi, "Stay close to me."

She nods and walks with him into the darkness. The moonlight beach at their backs, there's only the possibility of destruction ahead of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uh... I'm caught up on rewriting. lol This was the last chapter. I scrapped everything else and reoutlined. It should only go a few more but I won't be updating next week on time that's for sure. LOL Got lots to do after all. But it will be out soon!


	9. Chapter 9

The Land of Departure is just how Riku remembers it. He's only been to this world a handful of times after defeating Xemnas. But to see what was supposed to be his new home before him, he realizes just how much he's tried to give up. Kairi still clings onto his arm; not wanting to let go just yet.

She chances a glance up at him, "Can they follow us?"

"Probably. But we're being given a chance to figure this out and strike back."

Kairi isn't sure why he won't look at her but she doesn't get the opportunity to think about it when she hears the clack of heels coming down the stairs. She smiles at the blue-haired woman that comes to a stop before them. This is when Kairi lets go of Riku; long enough to rush forward and give the older female a hug.

Riku stays still as a statue, "Master Aqua."

"I'm glad you both made it here safely." She pats the top of Kairi's head and makes all of the tension leave her. "Terra and Ven already left with King Mickey to set up protection for the Princesses."

Aqua pulls away from Kairi and turns. Her blue and white cloths flail out around her legs as she takes Kairi's hand. Beginning to lead them back up to the throne room, Riku can't help but doubt this will all work. "Is that enough?"

"Until we know more it'll have to do."

Riku doesn't pay much attention to what Aqua and Kairi chatter about as they climb the large staircase. He's trying too hard to keep his body from giving into the need for nourishment. It doesn't help that he used a corridor to get here either. He knows he's nearing his limit and all he wants to do is ask Vincent why – why for any of this?

Each step seems to get farther and farther away. His vision begins to sway and his feet feel like lead weights. It's just when Aqua and Kairi get to the top that they glance back, having just asked for Riku's opinion without receiving a response.

"Riku!"

Aqua goes to dart forward and get back down the stairs fast enough; they both know she won't make it. She stops at the last second with her breath catching in her throat. A Keyblade Glider vanishes mid-air along with the armor that the man had donned on his way in. He lands several steps below Riku just in time to catch him.

Brunet hair sways at the sides of his face as he dips his head down, checking to make sure that Riku is okay. He sweeps the younger man up into his arms without a moment of hesitation. Aqua, however, breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness…"

A second later and another lands. He dismisses his glider and the armor before rushing up the stairs. His blond tresses bounce atop his head until he finally comes to a stop behind his dear friend. "That was really cool, Terra!" he exclaims as they begin up to where Aqua waits.

Aqua's concerned gaze lingers on Riku's furrowed brow as Terra gets close. "Take him to his room and I'll come-"

"He's fine. I'm sure he's just exhausted from having to bring Kairi and himself here."

"Terra," her voice is stern.

But it doesn't bother the man in the slightest. He merely walks away, leaving the three standing there. Aqua heaves a sigh and glances down at the blond, "Alright Ven, let's go discuss what sort of spells we should set up."

He looks just as worried but he doesn't question Terra's actions anymore than Aqua. Instead, they all file into the building after Terra. As they get to the throne room Kairi casts a glance down the hall that leads to the rooms. She just hopes that Riku will be okay.

Aqua notices and places a hand on her shoulder, "I'll tell you all I know when we're done."

(x)(x)(x)

Terra stands up from the chair he's been sitting in, waiting for Riku to wake up, and moves toward the bed. His young apprentice is still out cold yet there hasn't been a trace of peaceful sleep on his face. Terra reaches down and brushes his fingers through the silver colored bangs.

"Terra…"

He stills and quickly withdraws his hand. Not that he dares turn around. He doesn't want Aqua to see the frustration on his face.

"There's nothing you could have done."

Clenching his fists at his sides, Terra has to stop himself from wanting to get loud. "There's a lot I _should_ have done."

"Master wouldn't want you to dwell in the past."

"He wouldn't want me to keep making the same mistakes either."

"Terra..." Her gentle voice has a sigh leaving his lips. She knows not to push too hard, just enough. Turning, she prepares to leave him alone with his charge. "If you need anything, let me know."

Once the door shuts he can't help but try to catch his breath. He's so angry with himself that he can't stand it. All he's done is either not help or make things worse since the day he met this child.

Terra slumps down onto the edge of the bed and leans forward; head resting in his hands. That day he saw a kid that looked so much like himself; bright eyes, promising future. Yet he was so vastly different.

"You're stronger than I'll ever be."

There's a rustle of movement behind him as Riku begins to stir. His eyes slowly open and he's grateful that the only light in the room is from the lamp beside the bed. Lolling his head to the side he's surprised to see the brunet and not Aqua or Kairi.

"Terra?"

Said man straightens and glances over to him, "How are you doing?"

Riku quickly averts his eyes but it's too late. The crease between Terra's eyes is already forming. He debates on simply returning to wearing that accursed blindfold at this rate. It'd be better than these looks he gets.

"Red doesn't do you justice."

He keeps his gaze on the covered window and tries to start. But Terra is already cutting him off.

"Mickey explained everything." Terra hesitates, wanting to reach out but not knowing if he should. Instead he does what he thinks is best and merely turns away, allowing Riku some peace from his stare. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he states simply as he sits up. The second he's upright he finds that the burning is worse. Riku grabs at his throat and tries to breath. He pinches his eyes shut and wills it away. The harder he grits his teeth the more he can feel his fangs; can feel the need growing ever stronger.

Terra moves so that one leg is bent up onto the bed. He's reaching out for Riku, "Tell me what hurts and I'll fix it."

Riku acts suddenly, shoving Terra's arm away. "G- Go away. Hurry!" He draws his arms back to himself and grasps at his head. Fingernails bite into his scalp as he rakes his fingers up into his hair; the pain doesn't compare to the burning in his throat. "I can't- Nn…!"

At first Terra doesn't move; more out of concern than anything. He's been through many things in his life and this won't be enough to make him run away. Even so, he's cautious and rightfully so. Unable to control himself, Riku lunges for Terra.

Larger and stronger, Terra easily pins Riku down against the bed. From the way he leans over him makes struggling futile. He watches, almost helplessly so, as tears begin to form at the corners of Riku's eyes.

"You're better than this. You can overcome this, Riku."

"I..." He tries his best; trying not to take in deep breaths and closing his eyes. Although what truly calms him are the memories of Vincent that pass behind his eyelids. He can't stand that he wants to cling to him even now.

Terra sighs as he sits up. Although he drags Riku with him. "You just need blood right?"

Riku shakes his head, "I won't-"

"If you don't you'll just be putting yourself and everyone else in danger." Terra's gaze softens as he pats the top of Riku's head. "Just this once then, alright?"

He doesn't get much of a choice as Terra is already man-handling him quite a bit. "Wha-!" he tries to shout, but Terra clamps a hand over his mouth.

"Shh. Just hurry up."

The tone isn't as sharp as the words and it only distracts from the way he's nestled in Terra's lap. Not to mention the curve of his throat that's in view. The only thing blocking his chance to get at it is that high-collared shirt.

Terra lifts an arm and holds out his arm. Tugging one of the wristbands down, he gestures toward it. "If you take too much I'll hit you, happy with that?"

The grin is reassuring but the threat even more so. It allows Riku to relax. He doesn't even think of losing his senses when the bare wrist is in his grasp and not even an inch from his lips. He spares a furtive glance up at Terra but the brunet has cast his gaze elsewhere.

The second Riku digs his fangs into the skin he can feel Terra wince. But the latter doesn't tense up. He only clasps a hand to the top of Riku's head. It's not very long at all that Riku stays conjoined to the source. He's pulling away far sooner than he should but it'll have to do. He's had enough to make the sensation die down; it'll be back soon though.

Not that any of the reasoning calms the shame racing up his spine. Riku wants to slip into a deep hole when he shrinks away from Terra and climbs back toward the headboard. His legs draw up toward his chest out of instinct as Terra shifts toward him.

A hand reaches out and urges Riku to lift his head. It's then that Terra wipes his thumb over the blood lingering on the corner of Riku's mouth. It only makes Riku feel more ashamed than he already is. He chances a glance up and Terra can clearly see the silent question.

"It's the least I can do." Terra pulls away with a sigh. "If I had been there this wouldn't have happened."

Riku bites back what he wants to say, that no matter what he finds himself happy it all did. Even though it means Sora is gone and now he has to adjust to this new life. "Something would have happened either way."

A yawn breaks past Riku's lips and Terra takes that as a sign. "I'll let you get some rest," he says as he stands up.

Already laying down before Terra can get to the door, Riku mumbles, "Thanks."

(x)(x)(x)

Sleep is something that dodged Riku the rest of the night. By the time the sun rises he's already been awake for hours. Not that he can help it. Every time he closes his eyes his brain runs at a mile a second in a vain effort to figure everything out. There _has_ to be a way to get out of this and keep Vincent safe.

Riku takes a better part of an hour searching for Aqua. Everywhere she usually is, she isn't. Finally he spots her out in the training grounds. The light of the sun gives a glow around her frame as she reclines in one of the stone chairs. He strides over to one of the other chairs and takes a seat; mumbling a, "Good morning."

Aqua smiles over to him, "Good morning, Riku. Did you sleep well?"

"Where is everyone?"

Folding her hands into her lap, Aqua glances back up to the sky. "Micky and Ven left to take Kairi to Yen Sid. It'll be safer for her there. Ven should be back soon though."

Riku feels uneasy at that; a little upset that no one bothered to ask him to do it. After all, he knows more about these creatures than they do. Aqua gives him a look, one that he knows can see everything. "I'm fine," he states while cutting his eyes away."

"No matter what, we still care about you Riku." She leans forward, elbows resting on the table. "You're a Master now but that doesn't mean you don't need help too. Tell me about that man."

She's always been understanding toward him, something that surprised Riku at first. He furtively glances for any sign of Terra; the latter won't be as calm about his unexplainable feelings. Riku tries to settle back against the chair. "His world fell to darkness and something called Chaos saved some of his friends. But it cost them their humanity."

Aqua gestures for him to continue.

Riku averts his eyes, "Sora and I had a disagreement. Vincent was there and he tried to help me."

"Are you sure?"

He snaps his eyes up to meet hers. He's frustrated with her accusing tone but he understands it in the same breath, "Yes."

Aqua can't stop her sigh, "Kairi told me he attacked you."

"It's more complicated than that. If he wanted to kill me he would have."

Standing up, she strides around the table to place a hand on his shoulder. "And you think he's trying to do everything himself without involving us?"

Riku looks up at her, a little taken back. But he doesn't get the chance to answer. There's an intense gust of wind before Ven hits the ground. He only remains on his feet a second before he collapses to his knees. Panting hard, he looks up at Aqua as she rushes to him.

"Ven! What happened?"

There's anguish in his expression, something Riku sees as he joins Aqua before the blond. "One guy ambushed us. I tried-" He lets out a relieved sigh as Aqua begins casting a healing spell. "He took Kairi. I don't know where."

"I do." They both turn to Riku, watching as he walks past them. "I'll be back."

Aqua stands, intending to go after him, "Riku, you can't just rush into things. We have to have a plan. Kairi wouldn't want you getting hurt rushing into the enemy base."

"Aqua's right. You're not going anywhere."

Riku glances over his shoulder, shooting Terra a glare. He hadn't even heard the man come out. Not that it matters to him in the slightest. He keeps a close eye on them both as Aqua dares to take a few steps closer,"Is this about Kairi or him?"

It's then that he looks away, not able to meet Aqua's knowing eyes. Terra crosses his arms over his chest and grumbles, "Getting worked up over some stranger. That's how the darkness can use a situation to overcome you."

He wants to laugh, outright laugh and shoot a snarky retort. But he doesn't want to hurt his fellow Masters in the same breath. Instead he settles for summoning forth a dark portal. He knows very well that while they've all accepted the darkness, it still sets them on edge when he frivolously calls one forth. Just before he steps through he glances over his shoulder, flashing Terra one of his trademark smirks; one that says there's no room for convincing him otherwise.

"He helped me and I'm going to help him now."

(x)(x)(x)

Riku is honest with himself when he arrives on the shore of island he used to play at as a child; the same that Sora died on. Deep down he's never doubted Vincent for a second. No matter how hard he tries to see things from the outside and that Vincent is the last person he should be running to – he has to go back to him. When no one else saw what he wanted and needed, that one man did and he tried to help.

"Riku!"

He glances up and doesn't waste a second. Rushing to the shack, he throws the door open and bolts up the stairs. Riku stumbles out the following door and across the bridge leading to the Paopu tree. He's heaving a sigh of relief when he skids to a stop. Although Vincent stands behind her, leaning against one of the coconut trees, Kairi is before him and doesn't seem to be hurt. He vaguely takes note of the satchel hanging from Vincent's shoulder, settling to ask about that later.

"What's going on?" he asks as Kairi hurries to him.

There's blood smeared on her outfit and around the few cuts on her arms and legs. "That's what I should be asking!" She spins around, pointing toward Vincent. " _He_ won't tell me anything and neither will you."

"You don't ask the right questions."

Her glare settles onto Vincent, "Fine, why fight with us if you're always acting like you're on our side?"

"Chaos has orders. If he wasn't preoccupied with a distraction you'd be dead."

Kairi idles a moment, choosing her words carefully after considering his previous statement. "So why turn Riku in the first place?"

Vincent pushes away from the tree and begins to walk over to them. She becomes apprehensive of his tall frame as it draws near after having been drug here without a word from him. He nods toward Riku once he's before her. "He was hurting. Now move away from him."

Kairi doesn't budge. Instead she turns around and notices the way Riku seems a little distant. In fact, he hasn't heard a word they've said. He's been too busy trying to resist the urge to brush the crimson hair away from the curve of her neck. "Riku, are you okay?"

"I can help, but not while you're tempting him."

She turns back toward him only to find that Vincent won't meet her eyes, he's watching Riku's every move. "What do you mean?"

"Kairi..." is all Riku says as he gently touches her shoulder.

The red beginning to taint his blue eyes is getting darker by the second. She detests that she can do nothing but that doesn't stop her from flashing Vincent a warning glare as she walks around Riku and toward the bridge. "I'll be on the other side. Do anything funny and you'll get a Fire spell to the head."

"I would expect no less. I'll explain everything once we're done."

"Promise?"

Vincent blinks, a little surprised at the question. She reminds him of someone he knew and it makes his gaze soften. "I promise."

Satisfied, Kairi heads to the coconut tree beside the door that leads back down to the shore. She displays enough trust that she turns her back to them. Vincent thinks this is foolish of her but doesn't hesitate in taking it for granted. He ushers Riku over to the Paopu tree to which the latter sits up on the first bend of its trunk. Riku watches as Vincent rolls up one of his sleeves before eying the spot of pale skin beneath his jaw.

"You've never been under his control."

"I've been searching for a way to end this."

"And?"

"There is one."

Riku is happy to hear this, he honestly is. After everything that's happened there's still a way for something good to come out of this. Which is why he's more than delighted that in this position he's the one that's taller. He reaches out and grabs at the front of Vincent's sleeveless black coat and tugs him closer. One hand is spared to tug the collar of it and his shirt to the side before Riku bites into his neck.

He's not gentle about it but Vincent allows him to do what he wants nonetheless. Settling a hand on Riku's shoulder, he lets out a sigh, "I should have sent you something to kill the thirst."

The silver-haired man pulls away and pauses for only a moment. There's something about looking down into those crimson eyes that has him hooked. Maybe it's the fresh nourishment surging through him or the fact that he needs someone right now. Either way he's dipping his head back down and kisses Vincent instead. The blood on his lips only makes the meeting more enjoyable.

The entire time he tries to find something wrong with this and the way his heart aches for another kiss when he pulls away. But there's a difference than what he felt with Sora. That was easy and it almost felt like it _had_ to be. They had been together for so long as kids that it would only be right. But _this_ should be wrong and yet there's nothing about it he would change.

Riku attempts another kiss but Vincent lifts a finger and presses it to his lips. "That's enough, Riku."

"Didn't like it?"

"This isn't the place or time."

Daring to nip at the tip of Vincent's finger, Riku smirks. "You think that bothers me?"

Vincent closes his eyes, "Arrogance will be your downfall."

The opening has been made and Riku takes the opportunity. He pushes Vincent's hand away and uses his other to grab onto the sturdy shoulder before him. Just before their lips can meet, Riku lets out a small laugh, "I know what I want. I'm not a kid."

Their gazes lock and Riku is unsure of what he sees in relation to the hand that settles on his knee. Although, all he can think about is the breath that hits his lips. "You're acting like one."

Riku is prepared to finish what he's started. However, Kairi's voice and the sound of heavy footfalls has him stopping.

"Master Terra! Please, wait!"

The brunet, having landed on the bridge and not even seeing Kairi, doesn't pay her any mind even after she cries out. His Keyblade is drawn at his side as he rushes to the end of the bridge and sends out a simple Fire spell.

Vincent sees it coming and doesn't hesitate in the slightest. He wraps an arm around Riku's waist while the other reaches for his gun. Tugging Riku off the tree, Vincent holds him close to his chest while lifting his Cerberus and daring to pull the trigger only once. The bullet hits the fire and creates a small gravity field around it, extinguishing the fire before it can even get close.

Kairi is tugging at Terra's arm, trying to keep him from raising the Keyblade, "Master Terra, please listen."

"Not until that monster lets him go."

Terra pulls away from her and marches toward them. Not wanting to start anything, Vincent lets go of Riku and takes several steps back; he idles at the edge where the top of a ladder sticks up. Riku puts himself between them immediately, "I'm no different than him."

This stops Terra in his tracks but only for a moment. "What were you doing?"

"Feeding." The blunt answer has Terra grimacing without meaning to. Riku tries to move the conversation around it by looking toward Kairi as she comes to stand beside Terra. "There's a way we can stop Chaos. Right, Vincent?" He glances over his shoulder, signaling the latter to come forward.

Vincent does but only to stand a step behind and to the side of Riku. "The contract I made with Chaos has a physical form. If a Princess of Heart breaks the seal he can be defeated."

Terra, not trusting this information in the slightest, stays tense. "Why should we believe that?"

"Because it might kill me in the process."

Riku turns to Vincent, brows drawn together. "Why would we do that?"

However, Vincent ignores him. "You'll lure Chaos out to the world of your choosing. Once the seal is broken Chaos will have to merge with me to stay alive since our contract will be voided."

Kairi bites at the corner of her bottom lip, worrying it between her teeth. Her gaze slips up to meet Vincent's. "It's your… heart, isn't it?"

"Correct. However, I might not be able to control him and will need someone to destroy me if he takes over."

Terra scoffs and tightens his grip on his Keyblade. He knows Aqua won't say no to a plan like that. She'll try to ensure that everyone survives no matter what. They've already been through that with Ventus. He goes to open his mouth to reject every form of the plan but Kairi beats him to it.

"I'll do it." She smiles up at Terra, "I'll go back and explain everything to Aqua."

"What if it's a trap?"

The question Terra poses is one that's crossed her mind as well. But she settles it by asking Riku something so simply, "Do you trust him?" A nod is his response. "Then that's all I need to know!" She claps her hands together, "So how do we get your heart?"

Vincent seems to cringe a little at the word. "It's already been gotten. I just have to retrieve it."

Terra immediately interjects, "I'll go with you. Riku can escort Kairi back."

The dark haired man settles his gaze on Terra. "If any of you want a chance at surviving, I need to take Riku to get proper nourishment."

"Then it's decided," states Riku as he calls forth a Dark Corridor. "I'll head back tonight with a plan."

Kairi smiles wide and grabs at Terra's arm, "We'll be off then."

She's pulling him away before he has a chance to argue and Riku is beyond grateful for the thought. He goes to step into the portal when Vincent's hand falls onto his shoulder. About to reiterate that there's a possibility things could go wrong, Vincent can't even open his mouth. Riku brushes the hand off his shoulder to take it into his own instead.

He doesn't look back, he merely begins to lead Vincent into the dark depths. "I'm not losing anyone else, period."

(x)(x)(x)

The trip was short, ending with them standing inside Vincent's bedroom of his house. Although Riku will admit he's distracted upon arriving. His eyes scour the room for any hints of who Vincent is. There's only one thing that he spots and that's a red ribbon left atop the bedside table beside a few clips of ammo.

Vincent, busy digging in the closet for the hidden away object, leaves Riku to idle in the middle of the room. Riku shoves his hands into the pockets of his jacket, "So what happens when Chaos is gone?"

The reply is a little muffled as the sounds of boards breaking and sliding dare to overtake it, "Chaos won't be gone. He'll be absorbed into me."

"Meaning?"

Finally retreating from the closet, Vincent goes to Riku with the bag that he had been carrying. The only difference is there appears to be something inside it now. "Vampires won't cease to exist. But those that are under his complete control will die; those corrupted by the darkness."

"I see." Riku points to the bag, "So it's in there?"

The curious look on Riku's face has a rare smile touching Vincent's lips, one that Riku is sure to catch sight of before it retreats. "Yes," is all he says before striding over to the bed. He sits down on the edge with the bag at his feet. A breath passes before Vincent looks up at Riku. "I'm sorry about Sora, I was careless."

Riku, not wanting to get upset over it right now, moves to stand between Vincent's legs. In one swift movement he pulls Vincent forward so that the man's head presses against his torso. He slips one hand into the short tresses, trying to keep him in place. "You don't have anything to be sorry for. We're the ones that signed up to be guardians to all the worlds."

Vincent pushes away, pressing a hand onto the bed to lean back on while the other draws up to his face. He's startled by that action and uses his words as a buffer to keep it from happening again, "You're wrong."

"About?"

"I couldn't protect anyone and then condemned so many to a life like this."

Riku grabs his wrist, pulling his hand away even though he still tilts his face down so his bangs hide his eyes. It frustrates Riku to the point where he pushes Vincent onto the bed. Proceeding to straddle his waist, Riku still can't manage to get his attention. "Then start by protecting me."

Vincent's eyes widen and finally Riku smiles once their gazes meet. Slowly, Riku dips his head down and ghosts their lips together. But Vincent pushes him back ever so slightly, just enough to break the kiss. There's a petite smile that tinges his countenance, one that does well to catch Riku off guard. "We're doing this backwards."

"And whose fault is that?"

Something seems to give and Vincent moves his hand from Riku's chest to up and cupping at the back of Riku's neck. Vincent is well aware that for things to turn out the best he should be distancing himself from Riku in every way. But there's a purity to this younger man that he clings to in the same breath.

"Mine," he murmurs before their lips finally meet.

(x)(x)(x)

Riku yawns as he strides out of the darkness and into the throne room at the Land of Departure. The sun hasn't even come up but it will be soon. He stretches and looks around; wondering where everyone is. The young man muses to himself that he's thankful he has a quick recovery. Although he does find that he wishes he could have stayed in bed; in the comforting embrace that held him there.

"Where have you been?"

He turns around and comes face to face with Aqua and Terra; the latter has his arms crossed over his chest. Riku's eyes travel up to Terra as the man gets closer. Towering over him, Riku notices the way those eyes seem to scan every inch of his person. Riku holds steady, "Planning; we don't have long to talk either."

Aqua, rescuing him from any more questions, comes to stand beside Terra. "Is that it?" she asks while pointing to the bag on Riku's shoulder.

"Yeah. Kairi should be able to unlock it later."

"So Riku, what's the plan?"

He spins around and there stands Kairi with her hands on her hips. She's already dressed and ready for anything; especially with the that look on her face. He grins back at her, "How do you feel about testing out that new Fire spell I taught you?"

Terra reaches out, clapping a hand onto Riku's shoulder. "You have to be kidding, you can't just take her out into battle. We're down one already."

"Terra," Aqua begins, "Ven is fine. He's just resting."

Riku brushes them both off and strides over to Kairi. "We only have a small window. I just came to pick up Kairi. By the time the sun rises we'll be back with Vincent. Word will get to Chaos and he'll come straight here to get him and the heart back."

Aqua steps between them and Terra, "Are you sure this will work, Riku?"

He holds out his hand and summons forth a corridor. "It's the only thing we have to try." When she doesn't stop them or say another word, Riku leads Kairi into the darkness.

(x)(x)(x)

Waiting for Vincent to show up and attack them is agonizing. There's always the chance that it'll go horribly wrong; that's something Riku has come to accept rather well. Kairi stands at the edge of the water and looks out toward the islands that they call home. She takes a deep breath, "Hey Riku?"

"Hm?"

"You know I don't blame you about Sora right?"

Riku stills. This is _not_ the subject he wants to think about right now. But he can't deny her pain and instead takes a step closer. "Kairi, I-"

"I know that wasn't easy. Especially with how much you cared about him." She turns around and smiles up at Riku. It's one that's full of sadness, but there's no anger in the slightest. "So lets make sure it doesn't happen again, alright?"

He can't stop himself from surging forward, pulling her into a hug. She returns the favor while resting her cheek against his chest. She soaks in the moment; tattooing it into her memories so that she'll never forget how happy she is to at least still have him here.

"Riku..."

Letting her go, he turns around to face Vincent and the group of three vampiric shadows that stand behind him. Vincent draws out his gun but Riku is already dashing forward with his Keyblade flashing into his grasp. On the other hand, Kairi is activating a rather powerful Fire spell.

The large fiery orb rises above her head and begins to produce smaller balls that sling toward their targets; all but Vincent and one of the vampires. None of them can get close to Kairi especially after Riku knocks Vincent to the ground; sitting atop him after wrestling the gun out of his grasp. He holds it down, pressing it to Vincent's throat. "Call them off."

Vincent glances toward two that stand off to the side. He doesn't so much as wince when one bursts into flames, "Retreat. Now."

The order is absolute and sends the creature far around the bend of the shore; eager to slip through the darkness. Riku waits a few moments until he's sure the enemy has left. Although he doesn't seem to move fast enough as Vincent would like. "Are you going to sit there all day?"

"Just checked, it's definitely gone," Kairi chimes in as she walks over to them.

Riku huffs as he stands up and dismisses his Keyblade. Vincent brushes the sand off his clothes while Riku holds out his gun to him. "I don't see how you carry this thing. It's too heavy."

Slipping it into the holster resting against his hip, Vincent merely glances over to Kairi before back at Riku. "Is everything in order?"

"As long as that thing does what it's supposed to," Riku comments as he holds out his hand to open a portal. The darkness swirls up from the ground and Kairi frowns slightly, something that Riku takes note of. He nudges her as he goes by, "It's only one last time. You can figure out how to open your own corridors after this."

She elbows him in the side, although still takes the hand he offers, "I will! And it'll be safer."

The three of them hurry into the curling darkness with Riku leading the way. Before any of them can take much of a breath they're already exiting out the other side and into the setting light that streams in through the stained glass. Of course Aqua and Terra are standing at the bottom of the stairs, just before the thrones, waiting on them.

Tense silence fills the air as they meet in the middle of the room. Terra is the first to speak up; arms crossed and a deep frown on his countenance. "No one got hurt, right?"

Riku pulls away from Kairi to maintain a defensive stance before Vincent. However, Kairi is the one to answer, "Everything went perfectly." She gestures towards Vincent. "By the middle of tonight he should be here."

Turning away, Aqua begins down a hallway. "I'll continue lowering the protective barrier in that case."

"Wait. Wait a second. I'd feel more comfortable if _he_ was contained somewhere until then."

Vincent cuts Riku off before he can interject, "As long as Chaos can find me, I'd feel better if I was as well."

The young woman gives a wave for Vincent to follower her and he does. But not without Terra following close behind. Left standing there, Riku can only stare at their retreating backs. He'd be lying if he said he isn't worried about all of this. There's no sure fire plan to make this work. Squaring his shoulders, Riku glances over to Kairi. "I won't let anything like that happen again. I'll keep you safe, I promise."

Kairi sticks her tongue out at him, "Not if I have to save your butt instead."

Riku shakes his head before gingerly pulling away, muttering something about getting ready for tonight. Except he has other plans and one of them includes getting to Vincent before everything hits the fan. If he's lucky Terra will still be getting ready.

Which is a good case and point considering Riku practically sprints to his designated room when he's not in anyone's line of sight. Once there he throws off his jacket, not wanting anything to get caught or tamper with his actions. He has to be focused for this after all. It shouldn't be a surprise that he's practically skidding to a halt when Aqua suddenly emerges from the doors that lead outside.

"I thought you'd be the first to show up."

Her genuine smile is hard to ignore but he does try, "Meaning?"

"Ven is inside just in case. Kairi and Terra should be here soon. If you want to be alone for a moment, now is your chance," she says simply. Riku goes to walk by her, to take her up on her offer, when her hand falls on his shoulder. "We can do this. He'll be fine."

There's something strange in the way his heart feels lighter and there's less tension that riddles his muscles. Yet he doesn't dare dwell on it. He accepts it and opens the door just a crack, slipping outside and making sure to close it behind him. Riku takes a couple steps and finds himself halting completely.

Sitting at the stone table in one of the four chairs is Vincent staring up at the stars beginning to glitter in the darkening sky. His silhouette is framed by the soft yellow light coming from the hanging lanterns set up around the edge of the area while a rather saddened expression occupies his countenance. It's a moment like this that Riku truly realizes just what this man has put on the line for him and his selfish whims. That once again someone is hurting because of what _he_ wants or can't handle.

Finally he continues forward knowing he doesn't have very much time and that if they're unlucky tonight then this will be the last time he ever speaks to Vincent. The latter doesn't bother looking to him when he comes to a stop beside the chair, impatiently gazing at him. Although he also can't stop his eyes from wandering to slight magical current that he can see around the bottom of the chair.

With a huff he mutters a cure spell and has the bind wearing off; not like it would do anything to begin with. He's well aware that Aqua must have just been satisfying her friend's request. Although his action merely draws a disgruntled sigh from Vincent. Riku is prepared, he's already determined to lay things out on the figurative table between them. Except Vincent is already glancing to the side, ignoring him the best he can.

"When this is over, if I survive, I'll be sure to stay far away. The rest of the vampires need to have tabs kept on me."

It's not the first time in his life that Riku has to resist the urge to slap hit someone he cares about. Then again… he wonders if this is how Sora felt. To be standing on the other side of the river is hard but that doesn't stop his glare from setting in, "What makes you think I want that?"

"It's what's best for you – for everyone. I've ruined your life enough and now you think you lo-"

Riku grabs onto Vincent's shoulder, the touch forcing their eyes to finally meet. "I _do_ , maybe I shouldn't but I do."

Vincent shrugs Riku's hand off. "Your feelings are from the bond we share. Don't get confused."

He's not sure what to say to that. Sure, he knows very well that the _last_ person he should have feelings for is a man he's only recently met. But there's something in the way his chest aches at the thought of losing him. Not because of anything other than the same way he felt about Sora; the familiar pain that is love for another person.

"So I'm stupid for not wanting to leave?"

"Yes. You're not thinking clearly and I haven't helped."

Seeing as the statement opens up the opportunity to act rashly, Riku does just that. He reaches down and grabs a fistful of Vincent's shirt. It causes the latter to look up just in time for Riku to meet him half way. Their lips crash together in a rough meeting of uncertainty and fear but there in the midst of the chaos is a budding love that neither can ignore. It's why Vincent doesn't push him away, at least at the beginning.

When Riku tries to deepen it, take charge and show him he means it, Vincent pulls back and frowns up at him. Riku's fingers remain tightly curled in the material even still, "None of this makes sense, I know that. But I _want_ to figure it out." Taking a step away and giving up his grip on Vincent, Riku shoves his hands into his pockets. "After all this I'll take you wherever you want to go and if you still don't want me around, I'll find a way to live with that."

A small smile touches Vincent's lips and it nearly takes Riku's breath away. He settles against the chair, as if a great weight no longer rests on him, and gives a mere wave of his hand. "That's very mature of you. I don't see why not, but only if you stop doing that."

"Doing what?" asks Riku as he raises a brow in mock confusion.

Vincent slowly rises to his feet and steps away from the chair. They can hear the footsteps that will be close to that door soon and he knows he only has a moment. He'd rather not get on Terra's bad side more than he is. Even so he doesn't hurry things too quickly as he reaches to cup at the back of Riku's neck, holding him steady, as he leans in for a kiss.

It's so very different than the one before. There's a calm to it that has them both relaxing and Riku not noticing that Vincent's hand slides down to his shoulder then drops off. Not that Riku minds any of that, he's far too enraptured in the way those lips slowly pull away from his own. The next thing he knows Vincent is grabbing one of his hands, lifting it up and placing something heavy on the palm.

Riku curls his fingers around the cold metal and looks down, only to snap his gaze back up to the hard set crimson eyes. "What.. I'm not using this," he states firmly.

Vincent gives a slight shake of his head and takes that fateful step away as the doors across the way open. The other three are already coming over when Vincent flashes one final smile and replies, "You'll do what you have to do."

The fear is daring to rush back in to feed the darkness that lingers around the recesses of his heart. It's something he has to combat at the same time as not letting the worry linger on his face. He can only absentmindedly feel Aqua's hand brushing over his shoulder. Yet no one stays near him. They're all moving to the middle of the area.

Riku turns around, holding the gun in one hand and summoning his Keyblade to the other. But the weight difference is weird and if he were honest he'd excuse himself immediately because he's about to be sick. He watches as Kairi stands in front of Vincent with a large glassy orb in her hands. It shimmers and glows; never staying one color as it alternates throughout every hue.

She casts a gravity spell on it to keep it in the air between them before she too calls forth her Keyblade. Before she even raises it over her head to strike through the object Riku can already smell the raw darkness that's racing throughout this world – trying desperately to find them so it can stop this. It'll never make it fast enough and Riku takes some tiny ounce of joy in that.

Chaos surges into the area just as Kairi shatters the one thing keeping it in a human-like form. The light blinds them all from the sight of Chaos being forcibly absorbed into Vincent. When they can finally see again and they're all standing at the ready, Vincent is down on one knee with a hand clutching at his shirt. Riku attempts to go over to him but Terra is skidding in the way and thankfully so.

Vincent stands back up at that moment and opens his eyes. Although that's not what shocks them. It's the leathery black wings that materialize and talons as deep as the darkness itself that replace his hands.

Kairi is trying to back away but Vincent is already lunging forward at her. He doesn't know how any of them fight and that's their only advantage. Aqua teleports between them and summons forth her barrier, blocking away the three swipes. Hopping backward, Vincent doesn't get a chance to rethink before Terra is already at his doorstep. Vincent catches the swing of Terra's Keyblade in one hand, but not without being shoved two or three feet in the other direction.

While Aqua is busy ushering Kairi away to prepare a rather large spell should they need it. It's exactly why Riku is racing forward as Terra wrestles his blade free just in time for Riku to trade blows with Vincent. Not that the gun he has to hold helps his movements in the slightest. Terra must notice this and switches places with Riku, dominating the fight as they parry back and forth.

That is until Vincent, or rather Chaos inside, gets irritated and knocks Terra off his feet. The wings flap and Vincent dives down, attempting to thrust the talons straight into Terra's chest. He would succeed but a mid level aero spell knocks into him. While it does no damage it _does_ garner the attention Riku wants.

Riku puts plenty of distance between them and forces Vincent to rush toward him. The action gives Aqua enough time to run over to Terra to throw him a quick healing spell while Kairi continues holding her own – ready to fire should they need it. Although Riku doesn't plan on it having to go to that extreme. He's already blocking the first blow that comes in, aiming to cleave his head from his shoulders.

The other hand darts forward, palm landing heavily on his shoulder while those sharp claws dig through his vest and pierce the skin beneath. The pain is nothing compared to that of Vincent sinking his teeth into Riku's neck a second later. While Terra is already trying to get to his feet and Kairi is looking for what to do from Aqua, Riku is calm.

It's all going how he thought it would. He'll fix this himself.

His Keyblade vanishes and his fingers claw for support against the grass as he hits the ground with Vincent crouched over him. The gun in his other hand is gets heavier with each passing second that he idles. Yet he manages to lift and aim it, the barrel shaky as he pulls the trigger.

The last thing he wants to do is kill Vincent so he'll settle for a minor injury.

The shot rings out as the bullet passes through Vincent's thigh. Kairi's spell wavers and Terra stumbles to a stop. Vincent, however, slowly pulls away from Riku's neck after a moment of hesitation. He refuses to look at Riku but the latter can tell it's over, at least for now. Suppressing that entity will be a forever trial. Right now, though, Vincent rests forehead against Riku's chest with heavy breaths trying to steady his nerves.

To be honest, it's the first time he's even seen the other vampire breathe. It's enough to allow him to relax and draw a hand up, diving his fingers into the short dark tresses. A simple sign that tells the others the battle is over. Coming so quick and ending just as soon, they all struggle to catch their breath.

(x)(x)(x)

Hours later find Vincent sitting in the same chair that he had been earlier. The only difference is that Riku comes over to lean against the table, looking down at him with nothing but worry. After Vincent could stand they found that the wound had already healed. Although it _did_ take a bit of effort and time before Vincent could dismiss the wings and claws – after several attempts too since they kept trying to come back.

"I'm sure you don't want to stay here all day," says Riku as he fiddles with the zipper on his jacket.

Vincent sits up a little, bringing them a tad closer. "I'd like to find my friends. The last I heard of them they were in a place called Traverse Town."

There's a shrug from Riku in response. "I'll take you wherever you want to go. But they probably aren't in Traverse Town anymore." He pauses then adds, "Why didn't you talk to them?"

"They looked like they had enough problems. Yuffie almost saw me but I couldn't trust her with a secret like this."

Riku smiles over at him, "I actually _do_ know a Yuffie… unfortunately." He can only remember the time Sora drug him to Radiant Gardens to meet the team of people who had helped him. The most memorable was definitely the grinning woman who couldn't help but ask every and any question. "I can take you there, but I should probably run back to Destiny Islands first," he states with a tug at the bottom of his vest, indicating the obvious rips that had been left in it from Vincent's claws.

"That's fine," says Vincent as he stands up. He steps away from the chair and table but not without grabbing at Riku's wrist. He tugs the latter along with him only to let his hand slip down until it cups with Riku's. Even though he doesn't dare make eye contact, he does have a rather pleased tone. "We can go wherever you want first."

**Author's Note:**

> I originally wrote this 4 years ago. So I've decided to rework and update it in regards to finally posting the well overdue sequel. I'm very excited to return to this pairing and explore new plot bunnies I've come up with. :D 
> 
> lol I've deleted the original from everywhere but my deviantART for my own reasons. //it was very... holey// To which I've tried to patch this up as much as possible!
> 
> Thank you all for reading ;D Chapters will come out once a week or if something happens once every two weeks (for those that plan to keep up)


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